FACTS
1. Coca-Cola was originally green.
2. The most common name in the world is Mohammed.
3.The name of all the continents end with the same letter that they start with.
4. The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue
5. There are two credit cards for every person in the United States.
6. TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard
7. Women blink nearly twice as much as men
8. You can't kill yourself by holding your breath
9. It is impossible to lick your elbow
10. People say "Bless you" when you sneeze because when you sneeze, your heart stops for a millisecond
11. It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.
12. The "sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language
13. If you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib. If you try to suppress a sneeze, you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die.
14. Each king in a deck of playing cards represents great king from history. Spades - King David Clubs - Alexander the Great, Hearts - Charlemagne Diamonds - Julius Caesar.
15. 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
16 . If a statue of a person in the park on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air,the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has a all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.
17 What do bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers all have in common? Ans. - All invented by women.
18. Question - This is the only food that doesn't spoil. What is this? Ans. -
19. A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
20. A snail can sleep for three years.
21. All polar bears are left handed .
22. American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first-class.
23. Butterflies taste with their feet.
24Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
25.In the last 4000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
26. On average, people fear spiders more than they do death.
27. Shakespeare invented the word 'assassination' and 'bump'.
28. Stewardesses is the longest word typed with only the left hand .
29. The ant always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.
30. The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
31. The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet.
32. Rats multiply so quickly that in 18 months, two rats could have over million descendants.
33. Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.
34. The cigarette lighter was invented before the match
35. Most lipstick contains fish scales .
36. Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different
37. And finally 99% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow
Monday, June 30, 2008
DONT'S AFTER MEALS
SEVEN Dont's after a Meal
* Don't smoke-Experiment from experts proves that smoking a cigarette after meal is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes (chances of cancer is higher).
* Don't eat fruits immediately - Immediately eating fruits after meals will cause stomach to be bloated with air. Therefore take fruit 1-2 hr after meal or 1hr before meal.
* Don't drink tea - Because tea leaves contain a high content of acid.This substance will cause the Protein content in the food we consume to be hardened thus difficult to digest.
* Don't loosen your belt - Loosening the belt after a meal will easily cause the intestine to be twisted &blocked.
* Don't bathe - Bathing will cause the increase of blood flow to the hands, legs & body thus the amount of blood around the stomach will therefore decrease. This will weaken the digestive system in our stomach.
* Don't walk about - People always say that after a meal walk a hundred steps and you will live till 99. In actual fact this is not true. Walking will cause the digestive system to be unable to absorb the nutrition from the food we intake.
* Don't sleep immediately - The food we intake will not be able to digest properly. Thus will lead to gastric & infection in our intestine
BLOOD GROUP
Blood type and Rh
How many people have it?
O + 40 %
O - 7 %
A + 34 %
A - 6 %
B + 8 %
B - 1 %
AB + 3 %
AB - 1 %
According to a Japanese institute that does research on blood types, there are certain personality traits that seem to match up with certain blood types. How do you rate?
TYPE O
You want to be a leader, and when you see something you want, you keep striving until you achieve your goal. You are a trend-setter, loyal, passionate, and self-confident. Your weaknesses include vanity and jealously and a tendency to be too competitive.
TYPE A
You like harmony, peace and organization. You work well with others, and are sensitive, patient and affectionate. Among your weaknesses are stubbornness and an inability to relax.
TYPE B
You're a rugged individualist, who's straightforward and likes to do things your own way. Creative and flexible, you adapt easily to any situation. But your insistence on being independent can sometimes go too far and become a weakness.
TYPE AB
Cool and controlled, you're generally well liked and always put people at ease. You're a natural entertainer who's tactful and fair. But you're standoffish, blunt, and have difficulty making decisions.
COCONUT WATER
CocoNUT Water is naturally:
Low in Carbs
99% Fat Free
Low in sugars
Coconut Water contains organic compounds possessing healthy growth promoting properties that have been known to help -
*Keep the body cool and at the proper temperature.
*Orally re-hydrate your body, it is an all natural isotonic beverage.
*Carry nutrients and oxygen to cells.
*Naturally replenish your body's fluids after exercising.
*Raise your metabolism.
*Promote weight loss.
*Boost your immune system.
*Detoxify and fight viruses.
*Cleanse your digestive tract.
*Control diabetes.
*Aid your body in fighting viruses that cause the flu, herpes, and AIDS.
*Balance your PH and reduce risk of cancer.
*Treat kidney and urethral stones.
*Boost poor circulation.
COCONUT WATER
The English name coconut, first mentioned in English print in 1555, comes from Spanish and Portugese word coco, which means "monkey face." Spanish and Portugese explorers found a resemblance to a monkey's face in the three round indented markings or "eyes" found at the base of the coconut. On the Nicobar Islands of the Indian Ocean, whole coconuts were used as currency for the purchace of goods until the early part of the twentieth century.Coconuts are the fruit of the coconut palm, botanically known as cocos nucifera, with nucifera meaning "nut-bearing. " The fruit-bearing palms are native to Malaysia, Polynesia and southern Asia, and are now also prolific in South America, India , the Pacific Islands , Hawaii and Florida. The light, fibrous husk allowed it to easily drift on the oceans to other areas to propagate. In Sanskrit, the coconut palm is known as kalpa vriksha, meaning "tree which gives all that is necessary for living," since nearly all parts of the tree can be used in some m anner or another. The coconut itself has many food uses, including milk, meat, sugar and oil as well as functioning as its own dish and cup. The husk was also burned for fuel by natives, but today a seed fibre called coir is taken from the husk and used to make brushes, mats, fishnets, and rope. A very potent fermented toddy or drink is also made from the coconut palm's sap. Coconut oil, a saturated fat made from dried coconut meat, is used for commercial frying and in candies and margarines, as well as in non-edible products such as soaps and cosmetics.Although it takes up to a year for coconuts to mature, the trees bloom up to thirteen times a year, so fruit is constantly forming yielding a continuous harvest year-round. An average harvest from one tree runs about 60 coconuts, with some trees yielding three times that amount. The coconut's name is a bit of a misnomer, since it is botanically classified as a drupe and not a nut. It is the largest seed known.If you've ever opened a fresh coconut, you will have seen the thin, opaque almost clear coconut juice or water which has a slight almond flavor. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the coconut milk. However, the water is consumed as a drink fresh from the coconut by many, and it can also be used in recipes.
Here are some more information about Coconut Water -
"It's a natural isotonic beverage, with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. It's the fluid of life, so to speak." In fact, during the Pacific War of 1941-45, both sides in the conflict regularly used coconut water - siphoned directly from the nut - to give emergency plasma transfusions to wounded soldiers.Most coconut water is still consumed fresh in tropical coastal areas - once exposed to air, the liquid rapidly loses most of its organoleptic and nutritional characteristics, and begins to ferment.
Coconut Water is More Nutritious than whole milk - Less fat and NO cholesterol.
Coconut Water is More Healthy than Orange Juice - Much lower calories.
Coconut Water is Better than processed baby milk - It contains lauric acid, which is present in human mother's milk.
Coconut water is naturally sterile - Water permeates though the filtering husk.
Coconut water is a universal donor - Its identical to human blood plasma.
Coconut Water is a Natural Isotonic Beverage - The same level we have in our blood.
Coconut water has saved lives in 3rd world countries thru Coconut IV.
Low in Carbs
99% Fat Free
Low in sugars
Coconut Water contains organic compounds possessing healthy growth promoting properties that have been known to help -
*Keep the body cool and at the proper temperature.
*Orally re-hydrate your body, it is an all natural isotonic beverage.
*Carry nutrients and oxygen to cells.
*Naturally replenish your body's fluids after exercising.
*Raise your metabolism.
*Promote weight loss.
*Boost your immune system.
*Detoxify and fight viruses.
*Cleanse your digestive tract.
*Control diabetes.
*Aid your body in fighting viruses that cause the flu, herpes, and AIDS.
*Balance your PH and reduce risk of cancer.
*Treat kidney and urethral stones.
*Boost poor circulation.
COCONUT WATER
The English name coconut, first mentioned in English print in 1555, comes from Spanish and Portugese word coco, which means "monkey face." Spanish and Portugese explorers found a resemblance to a monkey's face in the three round indented markings or "eyes" found at the base of the coconut. On the Nicobar Islands of the Indian Ocean, whole coconuts were used as currency for the purchace of goods until the early part of the twentieth century.Coconuts are the fruit of the coconut palm, botanically known as cocos nucifera, with nucifera meaning "nut-bearing. " The fruit-bearing palms are native to Malaysia, Polynesia and southern Asia, and are now also prolific in South America, India , the Pacific Islands , Hawaii and Florida. The light, fibrous husk allowed it to easily drift on the oceans to other areas to propagate. In Sanskrit, the coconut palm is known as kalpa vriksha, meaning "tree which gives all that is necessary for living," since nearly all parts of the tree can be used in some m anner or another. The coconut itself has many food uses, including milk, meat, sugar and oil as well as functioning as its own dish and cup. The husk was also burned for fuel by natives, but today a seed fibre called coir is taken from the husk and used to make brushes, mats, fishnets, and rope. A very potent fermented toddy or drink is also made from the coconut palm's sap. Coconut oil, a saturated fat made from dried coconut meat, is used for commercial frying and in candies and margarines, as well as in non-edible products such as soaps and cosmetics.Although it takes up to a year for coconuts to mature, the trees bloom up to thirteen times a year, so fruit is constantly forming yielding a continuous harvest year-round. An average harvest from one tree runs about 60 coconuts, with some trees yielding three times that amount. The coconut's name is a bit of a misnomer, since it is botanically classified as a drupe and not a nut. It is the largest seed known.If you've ever opened a fresh coconut, you will have seen the thin, opaque almost clear coconut juice or water which has a slight almond flavor. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the coconut milk. However, the water is consumed as a drink fresh from the coconut by many, and it can also be used in recipes.
Here are some more information about Coconut Water -
"It's a natural isotonic beverage, with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. It's the fluid of life, so to speak." In fact, during the Pacific War of 1941-45, both sides in the conflict regularly used coconut water - siphoned directly from the nut - to give emergency plasma transfusions to wounded soldiers.Most coconut water is still consumed fresh in tropical coastal areas - once exposed to air, the liquid rapidly loses most of its organoleptic and nutritional characteristics, and begins to ferment.
Coconut Water is More Nutritious than whole milk - Less fat and NO cholesterol.
Coconut Water is More Healthy than Orange Juice - Much lower calories.
Coconut Water is Better than processed baby milk - It contains lauric acid, which is present in human mother's milk.
Coconut water is naturally sterile - Water permeates though the filtering husk.
Coconut water is a universal donor - Its identical to human blood plasma.
Coconut Water is a Natural Isotonic Beverage - The same level we have in our blood.
Coconut water has saved lives in 3rd world countries thru Coconut IV.
TRICKY WORDS
Admission/admittanc e
Admission means permission of entry. It can be physical: The admission of immigrants had to be restricted.Admittance is a formal term for right of entry. A notice that says NO ADMITTANCE on a door means KEEP OUT.Using the two words together, you could say that a drunk was refused admittance to the show even though he had paid his admission.
To affect/to effect
These two verbs are often mis-spelled, also in English-speaking countries. The reason may be that they have a common noun: effect.To affect means have an influence on something: The strong wind affected the tennis game.To effect means cause, bring about: The new manager effected an improvement in the EDP Department.The adjective affected can also mean the same as in many other languages: displaying mannerisms that are not natural.
Amiable/amicable
Although your Latin may be rusty these days, you probably still recognize that these two words must have something to do with friend.Amiable is always applied to people who are pleasant, easy-going, likeable.Amicable cannot be applied to people, only to relationships that are friendly. Using both words in one sentence, you could comment: The two amiable proprietors had an amicable business relationship for many years.
Beside/besides
Beside refers to the physical situation, it means side by side, close to: He sat beside her. Still in a sense physical, but used figuratively are: Beside the point, meaning irrelevant, and the slightly old-fashioned expression: He was beside himself with rage, which indicates a really boiling temper.Besides is used in two ways: as an adverb in the sense of moreover, in addition: He has not improved; and besides, he does not seem to care .Less frequently, it can also be a preposition, meaning apart from: Besides curtains, they also sell sun blinds.
Blink/wink
Both have something to do with the movement of the eyelids.Blink is what you do involuntarily every few seconds with both eyelids.A wink is the lowering of one eyelid to give a signal. Here is the difference, shown in artistic form in its three stages: Not quite logically, wink (not blink) is used in phrases connected with sleep:I didn't sleep a wink last night = got no sleep at all. They had forty winks after lunch= a brief sleep, a nap.
Blush/flush
When you are temporarily red in the face, it can be the result of either blush or flush. Emotion (embarrassment or shyness) makes you blush: When he complimented her on her first-class work, she blushed.Physical exertion causes you to be flushed: She was flushed after running for the last bus.An in-between situation can exist when you are red in the face because of a mixture of emotion and physical causes. You can, for example, be flushed with excitement.
Childish/childlike
Childish is no compliment. It means immature: His reaction to their mild letter of complaint was very childish. (He sulked for months.)Childlike can be a compliment, as its meaning of like a child refers to positive attributes such as innocence,grace, honesty, etc.: The movements of the dancers had a childlike grace.
Contents/content
Contents is what you find in some form of container: the contents of a bottle, bag, box, book, and so on. Make sure you use the plural. In other languages you use the singular.Content is the presence of one element in another, often expressed as a percentage or proportion: the water content in my glass of wine, the copper content in an aluminum alloy, etc.The content (singular) of a book or a speech can also mean the essential element:It's a bestseller but devoid of serious content.
Continuous/continual
Continuous means without interruption, all the time, non-stop: There is a continuous performance from four to eleven.Continual means very frequent: They are notorious for their continual complaints.Nobody can complain 'continuously' . People have to sleep some of the time.Note: Constant is near in meaning to continuous, but not quite non-stop: her constant companion, constant headache, constant worries.
Customer/client
A customer buys goods and pays a price.A client buys professional services and pays a fee.Professional services are provided by lawyers, architects, accountants, and various consultants, who do not sell goods but give information or advice in some form or other. Doctors and dentists are also part of the professional group. They have patients and charge a fee.The English word profession means the same as in your language: He is a carpenter by profession. She is a professional tennis player.The English expression the professions, however, refers to a group of activities that require academic training, a university education: He is not sure yet, but will probably go in for one of the professions.
Definite/definitive
Definite means certain, clearly defined: Their arrival time is now definite.Definitive means final, often implying not merely the last, but also the best: It is probably the definitive book on the Vietnam war.This sentence means that the author has treated the subject so much better than anyone before him, that it will be the book on the war in Vietnam .
Department/division
In one of your idle moments - perhaps when sitting at your desk in the office this morning - you may have been wondering whether there is any difference between these two words.If you are thinking about the organization in a company, American usage prefers division for all but the tiniest sections in a firm: Chemical Division, Marketing Division, Export Division.British usage has always preferred department, reserving division for major integrated parts of a company: Export Department, Marketing Department, Consumer Products Division.Division, with its military connotation, somehow sounds more impressive than department. That must be the reason why companies outside North America tend to use it increasingly for modest departments that would previously not have qualified for this distinction.This idea that the division is bigger than department is reversed when it comes to the government. Then department is really the big thing. The State Department, for example, is that vast United States ministry known in other countries as Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Ministry, Ministry for External Affairs, and similar more descriptive terms.
Distinct/distinctive
Distinct is clear: a distinct difference, distinct outline, distinct advantage. Distinctive means being different from something else. You may need a distinctive trademark, distinctive design, distinctive slogan, i.e. something that stands out, something that people recognize because it is striking.Combining the two, you could say that a signpost can be made more distinctive by using more distinct lettering.
Eatable/edible
Eatable means that something is of a quality suitable for eating. As comment on somebody's standard of cooking it expresses a very low degree of enthusiasm:
How did you like her dinner? Well, it was eatable…
Edible means suitable for human consumption, because the food contains nothing that will poison you. Illustrated books will enlighten you on edible and inedible mushrooms, for example.Negative form of eatable: uneatable.
Economic/economical
Economic refers to the science of economics. You can have economic factors, an economic return on investment, an economic business. People can never be called economic.Economical is the opposite of wasteful and can be applied to people and objects. If money is involved, economical is simply money-saving.He is very economical in his buying habits = spends little. The new engine is highly economical = uses little fuel. In a court case someone once admitted that he had been economical with the truth, a very elegant way of saying that he was not telling the whole truth.
Efficient/proficient
Efficient is competent, well organized. It can be applied to people or things:She is incredibly efficient.Proficient means qualified, skilled, an expert at something. It can be applied to people only:They are proficient in (at) Braille.It is quite possible that someone proficient (who knows his special field) can at the same time be inefficient, if he forgets to answer letters or has a messy workshop.e.g. /i.e.These two abbreviations are often confused. An example, a limited selection is introduced by e.g. This is short for "exempli gratia". When reading it aloud, say for example, for instance or, if you insist, 'ee-gee':They manufacture medical appliances, e.g. syringes, catheters, surgical instruments, etc.An explanation, a definition is introduced by i.e. (id est). Say 'eye-ee", 'namely', 'that is 'or 'that is to say' when reading it aloud: They have three major product lines, i.e. chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.
Egoist/egotist
The extra 't' makes a considerable difference, although both people are not wildly attractive characters. An egoist is the same kind of person you have in other languages; someone who thinks only of himself; someone who is selfish. An egotist (remember that 't' to denote talking) is a person who talks a lot about himself.An egotist is probably also an egoist, but an egoist is often no egotist. (He keeps very quiet while he is gobbling that pound of chocolates when nobody is looking.)
Electric/electrical
Electric describes individual products that are in some way actuated by electricity:electric light, electric train, electric motor, and so on. It includes electric eel and electric shock.Electrical describes anything else connected with electricity, also the collective nouns of electricity- powered products: electrical engineer, electrical science, electrical appliances, electrical phenomenon, and so forth. Using the two adjectives in one sentence you would be quite correct in saying: Our electric toaster is an electrical appliance.
Error/mistake
The difference between the two is not enormous, but error is usually less serious than mistake.If I ask you to multiply 312 by 758, and you tell me that the result is 236 498, you probably made a slip when typing the last digit. I would call this an error. If you tell me that you bought a company two years ago, which has so far lost two million dollars, you made a mistake (How could you do such a thing?).
Every/each
Here is something for the connoisseur. Every applies to an unspecified number of objects. Each is usually better when the number of objects is known or small. Examples:In Glasgow you find a pub in every block. You do not know the number of blocks in merry Glasgow . You are making a general statement, therefore every.There is an entrance at each corner of the park. You know that the park has four corners. Therefore each. Here are two nearly identical sentences with a difference in interpretation:Every airliner has a Certificate of Airworthiness. All airliners have it. A general statement.Each airliner has a Certificate of Airworthiness. Each single aircraft I am talking about; presumably of one specific company, production run, type.
Exceptional/ exceptionable
Exceptional is, of course, something that is an exception, unusual, abnormal:We had an exceptionally wet summer three years ago.Exceptionable is mainly used in the negative form unexceptionable. It means acceptable, not open to objection: I have read the conditions. They seem unexceptionable.To take exception to something means to disapprove, raise an objection. You will probably find exceptionally good weather unexceptionable
Fast/quick
These two are not completely interchangeable. Fast refers to speed of movement or action:A fast train. A fast run.Quick relates to the length of time an event or action takes:A quick meal. A quick reply. Using both adjectives in one sentence, you could say: They had a quick crossing because the boat was fast. He had a quick meal because he is a fast eater. Exception department: quick can mean speed if the movement or action is not sustained, abrupt: Try to get that window seat! Quick! or He is an odd kind of man, with very quick, nervous movements.
Farther/further
Good news! Further can now safely be used in place of farther although there is a difference according to the dictionary. Farther is the comparative of far and thus relates to physical distance:London-Eastbourne is farther than London-Brighton.Nobody will be worried if you use further here. Further means additional, other, subsequent:We have to await further developments.Floor/storey (Am.: story)Floor indicates the position in a building: second floor, top floor, etc. Storey refers to the height of a building: a ten-storey apartment block.
Historic/historical
Historic refers to something important that is or will be remembered in history, recorded by history: a historic meeting, historic decision, historic voyage, historic landmark, etc. Historical is the adjective for all other purposes when you mean to do with history: a historical play, historical novel, historical costumes, etc.
Human/humane
Human is the more frequent adjective when referring to matters concerning homo sapiens: human habitation, human failings, human ancestry, etc. Humane means benevolent, compassionate: humane treatment is decent treatment.
In future/in the future
In future means from now on, starting now: All goods will in future be sent by our own transport.In the future is more vague and means at some unspecified later date:We hope to be able to send all goods by our own transport in the future. (As soon as we can afford three trucks.)While talking about 'the future', here is one small point you may find interesting. If today is the 5th of the month and you want to say that something will happen on the 26th, you have three ways of putting it:in three weeks; in three weeks from now; in three weeks' time. When using the last version, please don't forget the apostrophe in writing: In five hours'/days' /months'/ years' time.if/whetherIn many constructions these two words are indeed interchangeable:I am not sure if this is possible.I am not sure whether this is possible.The main difference is that whether is always assumed to be followed by or not. This means that in questions or requests an answer is usually expected. Take these two almost identical sentences: Let me know if you can come.The stress is here normally on the word know. The speaker or writer tells you here: If you can come, please let me know. (If you can't, don't bother to notify me). On the other hand, someone may tell you: Let me know whether you can come. This says: Please let me know whether you can come or not. An answer is required.
Imply/infer
Many people think that these two mean the same thing. There is a difference worth remembering.Imply is what the speaker or writer does: says, suggests, insinuates, hints at something that can be interpreted in a certain way. Infer is what the listener or reader does: concludes, guesses, deduces, thinks. Taking the two together, you could say:When she implied that she was very busy, he inferred that he was not welcome.The two nouns are implication and inference. (Inference has the stress on the first syllable. The remainder is pronounced like the same syllables in 'reference' )
Incredible/incredulous
Both have something to do with believe, as anyone will tell you who has ever battled with Latin.Facts, events, reports, and other impersonal things are incredible (or credible): they are hard to believe. People can be incredulous, i.e. they don't believe what they read or hear. The two together: He was incredulous when he heard their incredible story.
Insulated/isolated
English has two words, where other languages only have one. Insulated is the technical word: protected against electricity, heat or cold. Isolated is the general adjective. It is used for anything that is separated, kept apart: When the tide rose, he found himself isolated on a tiny rock.
Last/latest
Last denotes final or most recent. This can be confusing: her last book can mean that she never wrote any others or that it is her most recent literary effort. Latest makes the position quite clear; it means the most recent of several, leaving open the possibility of more to come: our latest model, their latest publication, her latest hairstyle.
Less/fewer
An interesting pair. Less is followed by a noun in the singular and is used when referring to extent, degree, and quantity in bulk. Fewer is followed by a noun in the plural and refers to quantity in terms of units. A few examples: less milk; fewer bottles; less help; fewer assistants; less money; fewer pesetas; less expense;fewer bills; less weight; fewer kilos
Libel/slander
Both mean the same: making false, damaging statements; telling lies about a person or company.Libel, however, is something written, usually a newspaper article. Slander is spreading all that nasty information verbally. As it is much easier to prove written defamation than word-of-mouth comment, you will sometimes hear about a libel suit; hardly ever about legal action involving slander.
Lie/lay
These two are often mixed up in English-speaking countries, mainly in the past tense.There are two separate verbs: to lie means to recline, to be in a horizontal position. It is irregular: to lie - lay - lain. He likes to lie in bed until lunchtime. The book lay on the shelf. The ring must have lain on the counter.It is an intransitive verb, i.e. you cannot add a direct object. You may lie on the floor, if you like that sort of thing; but you cannot lie something on the floor. You then need the other verb: It is to lay, which means to place, to put. It is irregular: to lay - laid -laid. It is transitive, i.e. it can be followed by a direct object: Let me lay the table. She must have laid it there by mistake. The ostrich laid an enormous egg.A frequent mistake is saying he lay it on the table. As you now know, it should be: He laid it on the table. Note: Just to complete the picture, there is also a third verb to lie, which means telling something that is not true. It is regular: to lie – lied - lied,
Long/lengthy
These two often mean the same, except when referring to something you have to read or listen to, when lengthy can imply that you were bored:He produced a lengthy report after his trip to Korea . Many pages, but not terribly entertaining.
Much/many
In the same way as less and fewer, much applies to bulk, mass, an unspecified quantity. Many are objects you can count:much money, much demand, much traffic, much food.many guilders, many orders, many cars, many dishes The same definition applies to much worry/many worries and much trouble/many troubles. Much worry is the total extent of your problems. Many worries are the individual headaches that bother you.
Murder/assassinate
The difference is simple: you and I are murdered. Statesmen and other important people are assassinated.
Offer/quotation
An offer is more general. It can be verbal or in writing. It is often applied to bulk goods with a variable price: We are interested in an offer for 250 tonnes of prime bleached sulphite pulp. The American unit of weight is still called ton.A quotation is more formal. It is always in writing and is the best term for a detailed proposal: Please let us have your quotation for Model KLB 2000 with power feed, rotary table, and grinding attachment. An offer is often based on a price calculation, a quotation on a fixed price list.Outside the office you also have a verbal offer when you tell someone how much you are prepared to pay. For a used car, for example. An offer at an auction is called a bid.
Official/officious
No problem with the adjective official, which means the same as in other languages: properly authorized. Officious describes a person who is over-keen to give service, who rushes around and upsets people. The best noun would be busybody. An officious waiter can ruin your carefully planned business lunch, if your guest becomes irritated and is in no mood to discuss the proposed contract.
Older/elder
Older is the general-purpose comparative form of old: old - older -oldest. Elder and eldest refer to family members and are always attributive adjectives: my elder brother, my eldest sister. You cannot say my brother is elder than I.
On time/in time
On time means punctual: The train is on time.In time means not late, before the last minute. In good time gives you a little extra:We should get a window seat if we get there in (good) time.
Passed/past
Identical pronunciation can cause mistakes; passed is a verb form, the simple past or past participle of to pass:She passed the test. They passed over the bridge.Past is here a preposition, applied to time or space:It is now half past ten. The ball whistled past the goal post.
Practical/practicable
Practical has to do with reality, with practice, with a good idea: it seems the only practical solution.You are a practical person if you can knock a nail into the wall without hitting your thumb. Practicable means possible, something that can be put into practice: This idea is unfortunately not practicable. This means it can't be done. A practical suggestion may not be practicable.Negative versions: unpractical and impracticable. (Impractical can be found in American English.) Practically is colloquial for almost: The book is practically finished.
Principle/principal
As these two sound completely alike, spelling mistakes are not uncommon. Principle is a noun and means the motive guiding an action or attitude.He looks narrow-minded, but we have to respect his principles. It can also be the basic element: I am not worried about the extra 50 cents, it's the principle that bothers me. Principal as adjective means main, chief, first, foremost: Their principal export is bananas. As a noun it means the head of an institution, usually of a school or college: Let's see the Principal about Willie's bad exam results.In business an agent may refer to the firm or person he represents as his principals: We are authorized to sign on behalf of our principals.
Question/query
A question is a straight request for information. The person asking it may know something about the subject; he may know nothing. A query is the result of some doubt in the mind of the speaker or writer who usually knows something about the subject.Clever you and I, listening to the lecture on The Advantages and Risks inherent in Pressurized Water System Nuclear Reactors', may afterwards raise a query. Jack over there, who slept solidly throughout the talk, will wake up and ask a question.
Readable/legible
Readable is easy to read because of style:The highly complicated subject was treated in a readable manner. If you want to make sure that your books are read by a wide audience, you must make them readable, i.e. easy to understand, a pleasure to read. Legible is also easy to read, but because the printing or writing is clear:Some pages in this old bible are hardly legible.
Small/little
Small is the neutral, general-purpose word, but little has an emotional element and conveys a personal attitude to the object.They have a small fox terrier describes size in a detached, matter-of-fact way. You should see their little cocker spaniel indicates that the speaker is rather fond of the little fellow.Another use of little, often unconnected with physical size, is as reinforcement of a negative opinion. When you say 'He is a nasty man!' you are obviously not over-impressed by his charm. When you hiss 'He is a nasty little man!', he must be very nasty indeed.
Large/big
The difference is the same as that between small and little. Large is for sober comment; big for a more personal or emotional opinion.An advertisement for a house, for example, may mention large dining room . When you have seen it, you are likely to tell your friends: 'it's got a big dining room'.
Stimulus/stimulant
As you can guess, these two words have something to do with getting things to move a bit faster, raising the interest level and other developments in the right direction. Stimulus is the abstract term:His enthusiasm was a tremendous stimulus to all of them.Stimulant is the concrete article, usually something you swallow to prevent you from going to sleep.
Tall/high
Both mean a certain distance from the ground. Tall implies a narrow base, something slender: a tall chimney, a tall mast, a tall person. High has a base of a certain width: a high wall, a high mountain, a high fence.When you are in doubt about someone who is tall but by no means slender (Fatty weighs 150 kilos), call him big. If a person is described as 'high' it means that he or she has had too much alcohol or drugs.
Uninterested/ disinterested
These two are very often mixed up in newspaper articles and even in books written by people who should know better. The difference is quite clear and should definitely be preserved.Uninterested means lacking in interest, by far the more frequently used of the two. Disinterested means unbiased, impartial, without self-interest or personal motive that could influence your attitude.The judge and jury in a court room must be interested in the case being tried, but must at the same time be disinterested. If a company is on trial and one of the jurors owns shares in it, he could not claim to be disinterested, i.e. to be free from the thought that an adverse verdict might hurt his pocket.uninterested=lack of interest; disinterested= disinterest
Very/much
Very usually qualifies an adjective to indicate degree: very funny, very deep, very loud, and so on. Much qualifies participles to indicate degree: much admired, much discussed, much appreciated, and so forth.Very can also be used to qualify a few participles that have assumed the meaning of adjectives. All of these have something to do with emotions or state of mind:very pleased, very alarmed, very worried, very frustrated, very impressed, very elatedWhenever you are in doubt about very or much, use a simple trick: say rather (weaker than very/much) or greatly (stronger than very/much). They usually fit: greatly perturbed, rather bothered, greatly underrated, etc.
Waste/wastage
Waste is usually avoidable: a waste of food, money, time, etc. Wastage is generally unavoidable. It is the natural loss of a substance through evaporation, normal leakage, and similar causes: wastage of fuel in a tank, water in a cistern, and so on.
Whisky/whiskey
Whisky is from Scotland ; whiskey from Ireland or North America . Plurals? Whiskies and whiskeys, respectively.
Beautiful/handsome/ pretty
Generalizing a little, we recommend beautiful for male babies and female persons of all ages.Handsome is suitable for males beyond the baby stage and women of slightly advanced age when beauty may be combined with a certain dignity. The description a handsome girl usually indicates a cautious assessment by the speaker, i.e. the girl has perhaps a bit of a horse face, but is otherwise not too repulsive. Pretty is applied to small girls and young women. If you are a woman of forty, you will prefer to be called pretty rather than handsome.Multi-purpose, uni-sex adjective, suitable for babies as well as grandmothers or grandfathers of 80? Good-looking.
Boat/ship/vessel
A boat can be of any size, from a rowing boat to an ocean liner. Be careful with professionals, however, because you will not be asked to the captain's table again after telling the master that his forty-thousand ton liner is a beautiful 'boat'. The correct word is ship, an ocean-going vessel. Vessel is the formal or generic term.
Former/ex/late
Former means still alive but no longer in the same job or position: our former manager, a former employee, one of my former pupils, etc.Ex- means the same as former, but often with the implication that the departure was not quite voluntary: ex-husband, ex-President, ex-mayor, etc.The late Jock Mac Tavish does not mean that Jock arrived at 4.30 when he should have been there at four o'clock. It means that he is dead. You do not need late when it is generally known that a person is no longer alive:It is attributed to President Truman but it belonged to her late grandfather.
Journey/voyage/ trip
Journey is any kind of travel of a certain distance. Voyage looks like the French 'voyage' but means travel by sea only. Both terms have lost the race against trip, that very short and ordinary-looking word. Trip used to mean a short journey by land, sea or air. Now it can be travel of any distance:We are going on a trip to the mountains. (23 miles) Have a good trip! (They are flying around the world.)Trip is not suitable when referring to distance or time. You then need the other two words:She has a journey of eight miles to get to the office. Europe-Australia can mean a voyage of five weeks.
Likely/apt/liable
Likely indicates that something is expected to happen, that it is probable:The application is likely to be approved tomorrow.Apt is applied to people or animals and denotes a tendency, a characteristic action or reaction:She is apt to be offended by your lack of interest.Liable is similar in meaning to likely and apt, but has a negative connotation, i.e. that something unpleasant will happen:If you use this shampoo, your hair is liable to fall out.
Packet/parcel/ package/pack
Packet is usually small, often machine-wrapped: A packet of envelopes.Parcel is of medium size, usually what you can carry or send through the post. The wrapping is normally done by an amateur like you and me.Package is bigger than a parcel. If you send me three towels, you make a parcel. If you send two dozen, you make a package.Pack can be the American equivalent of packet:A packet of cigarettes (British) - a pack of cigarettes (American).It is also a container for easy carrying: A six-pack of beer, for example. Back pack? That's the modern type of rucksack.
Sufficient/enough/ adequate/ ample
Sufficient is the same as enough but more formal. Adequate is just enough and no more. Our hotel room was adequate indicates no special enthusiasm. Ample is more than enough: Stop! Seven potatoes is ample!
Under/below/ underneath
Under is the most common preposition of the three. It describes situation or means less than:I found it under the house. It cost under ten dollars.Below applies to situation:They live below us. (This can be more than one storey lower) A fracture below the knee.It is also used in a few expressions:below expectations, below freezing point, below his rank, below the belt, etc.Underneath describes situation, usually the immediate underside:It was underneath the table top. They live underneath us. (On the floor directly under ours). Beneath is little used. It survives in such phrases as 'it was beneath his dignity'.
Wages/salary/ fee
Wages are normally paid weekly for manual work, piece work or the lower grades of clerical work. A salary is paid monthly to any other kind of employee.You pay a fee for professional services, i.e. work consisting of a specific job and not a fixed work period: medical fees, an architect's fee, legal fees, audit fees, and so on.
Admission means permission of entry. It can be physical: The admission of immigrants had to be restricted.Admittance is a formal term for right of entry. A notice that says NO ADMITTANCE on a door means KEEP OUT.Using the two words together, you could say that a drunk was refused admittance to the show even though he had paid his admission.
To affect/to effect
These two verbs are often mis-spelled, also in English-speaking countries. The reason may be that they have a common noun: effect.To affect means have an influence on something: The strong wind affected the tennis game.To effect means cause, bring about: The new manager effected an improvement in the EDP Department.The adjective affected can also mean the same as in many other languages: displaying mannerisms that are not natural.
Amiable/amicable
Although your Latin may be rusty these days, you probably still recognize that these two words must have something to do with friend.Amiable is always applied to people who are pleasant, easy-going, likeable.Amicable cannot be applied to people, only to relationships that are friendly. Using both words in one sentence, you could comment: The two amiable proprietors had an amicable business relationship for many years.
Beside/besides
Beside refers to the physical situation, it means side by side, close to: He sat beside her. Still in a sense physical, but used figuratively are: Beside the point, meaning irrelevant, and the slightly old-fashioned expression: He was beside himself with rage, which indicates a really boiling temper.Besides is used in two ways: as an adverb in the sense of moreover, in addition: He has not improved; and besides, he does not seem to care .Less frequently, it can also be a preposition, meaning apart from: Besides curtains, they also sell sun blinds.
Blink/wink
Both have something to do with the movement of the eyelids.Blink is what you do involuntarily every few seconds with both eyelids.A wink is the lowering of one eyelid to give a signal. Here is the difference, shown in artistic form in its three stages: Not quite logically, wink (not blink) is used in phrases connected with sleep:I didn't sleep a wink last night = got no sleep at all. They had forty winks after lunch= a brief sleep, a nap.
Blush/flush
When you are temporarily red in the face, it can be the result of either blush or flush. Emotion (embarrassment or shyness) makes you blush: When he complimented her on her first-class work, she blushed.Physical exertion causes you to be flushed: She was flushed after running for the last bus.An in-between situation can exist when you are red in the face because of a mixture of emotion and physical causes. You can, for example, be flushed with excitement.
Childish/childlike
Childish is no compliment. It means immature: His reaction to their mild letter of complaint was very childish. (He sulked for months.)Childlike can be a compliment, as its meaning of like a child refers to positive attributes such as innocence,grace, honesty, etc.: The movements of the dancers had a childlike grace.
Contents/content
Contents is what you find in some form of container: the contents of a bottle, bag, box, book, and so on. Make sure you use the plural. In other languages you use the singular.Content is the presence of one element in another, often expressed as a percentage or proportion: the water content in my glass of wine, the copper content in an aluminum alloy, etc.The content (singular) of a book or a speech can also mean the essential element:It's a bestseller but devoid of serious content.
Continuous/continual
Continuous means without interruption, all the time, non-stop: There is a continuous performance from four to eleven.Continual means very frequent: They are notorious for their continual complaints.Nobody can complain 'continuously' . People have to sleep some of the time.Note: Constant is near in meaning to continuous, but not quite non-stop: her constant companion, constant headache, constant worries.
Customer/client
A customer buys goods and pays a price.A client buys professional services and pays a fee.Professional services are provided by lawyers, architects, accountants, and various consultants, who do not sell goods but give information or advice in some form or other. Doctors and dentists are also part of the professional group. They have patients and charge a fee.The English word profession means the same as in your language: He is a carpenter by profession. She is a professional tennis player.The English expression the professions, however, refers to a group of activities that require academic training, a university education: He is not sure yet, but will probably go in for one of the professions.
Definite/definitive
Definite means certain, clearly defined: Their arrival time is now definite.Definitive means final, often implying not merely the last, but also the best: It is probably the definitive book on the Vietnam war.This sentence means that the author has treated the subject so much better than anyone before him, that it will be the book on the war in Vietnam .
Department/division
In one of your idle moments - perhaps when sitting at your desk in the office this morning - you may have been wondering whether there is any difference between these two words.If you are thinking about the organization in a company, American usage prefers division for all but the tiniest sections in a firm: Chemical Division, Marketing Division, Export Division.British usage has always preferred department, reserving division for major integrated parts of a company: Export Department, Marketing Department, Consumer Products Division.Division, with its military connotation, somehow sounds more impressive than department. That must be the reason why companies outside North America tend to use it increasingly for modest departments that would previously not have qualified for this distinction.This idea that the division is bigger than department is reversed when it comes to the government. Then department is really the big thing. The State Department, for example, is that vast United States ministry known in other countries as Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Ministry, Ministry for External Affairs, and similar more descriptive terms.
Distinct/distinctive
Distinct is clear: a distinct difference, distinct outline, distinct advantage. Distinctive means being different from something else. You may need a distinctive trademark, distinctive design, distinctive slogan, i.e. something that stands out, something that people recognize because it is striking.Combining the two, you could say that a signpost can be made more distinctive by using more distinct lettering.
Eatable/edible
Eatable means that something is of a quality suitable for eating. As comment on somebody's standard of cooking it expresses a very low degree of enthusiasm:
How did you like her dinner? Well, it was eatable…
Edible means suitable for human consumption, because the food contains nothing that will poison you. Illustrated books will enlighten you on edible and inedible mushrooms, for example.Negative form of eatable: uneatable.
Economic/economical
Economic refers to the science of economics. You can have economic factors, an economic return on investment, an economic business. People can never be called economic.Economical is the opposite of wasteful and can be applied to people and objects. If money is involved, economical is simply money-saving.He is very economical in his buying habits = spends little. The new engine is highly economical = uses little fuel. In a court case someone once admitted that he had been economical with the truth, a very elegant way of saying that he was not telling the whole truth.
Efficient/proficient
Efficient is competent, well organized. It can be applied to people or things:She is incredibly efficient.Proficient means qualified, skilled, an expert at something. It can be applied to people only:They are proficient in (at) Braille.It is quite possible that someone proficient (who knows his special field) can at the same time be inefficient, if he forgets to answer letters or has a messy workshop.e.g. /i.e.These two abbreviations are often confused. An example, a limited selection is introduced by e.g. This is short for "exempli gratia". When reading it aloud, say for example, for instance or, if you insist, 'ee-gee':They manufacture medical appliances, e.g. syringes, catheters, surgical instruments, etc.An explanation, a definition is introduced by i.e. (id est). Say 'eye-ee", 'namely', 'that is 'or 'that is to say' when reading it aloud: They have three major product lines, i.e. chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.
Egoist/egotist
The extra 't' makes a considerable difference, although both people are not wildly attractive characters. An egoist is the same kind of person you have in other languages; someone who thinks only of himself; someone who is selfish. An egotist (remember that 't' to denote talking) is a person who talks a lot about himself.An egotist is probably also an egoist, but an egoist is often no egotist. (He keeps very quiet while he is gobbling that pound of chocolates when nobody is looking.)
Electric/electrical
Electric describes individual products that are in some way actuated by electricity:electric light, electric train, electric motor, and so on. It includes electric eel and electric shock.Electrical describes anything else connected with electricity, also the collective nouns of electricity- powered products: electrical engineer, electrical science, electrical appliances, electrical phenomenon, and so forth. Using the two adjectives in one sentence you would be quite correct in saying: Our electric toaster is an electrical appliance.
Error/mistake
The difference between the two is not enormous, but error is usually less serious than mistake.If I ask you to multiply 312 by 758, and you tell me that the result is 236 498, you probably made a slip when typing the last digit. I would call this an error. If you tell me that you bought a company two years ago, which has so far lost two million dollars, you made a mistake (How could you do such a thing?).
Every/each
Here is something for the connoisseur. Every applies to an unspecified number of objects. Each is usually better when the number of objects is known or small. Examples:In Glasgow you find a pub in every block. You do not know the number of blocks in merry Glasgow . You are making a general statement, therefore every.There is an entrance at each corner of the park. You know that the park has four corners. Therefore each. Here are two nearly identical sentences with a difference in interpretation:Every airliner has a Certificate of Airworthiness. All airliners have it. A general statement.Each airliner has a Certificate of Airworthiness. Each single aircraft I am talking about; presumably of one specific company, production run, type.
Exceptional/ exceptionable
Exceptional is, of course, something that is an exception, unusual, abnormal:We had an exceptionally wet summer three years ago.Exceptionable is mainly used in the negative form unexceptionable. It means acceptable, not open to objection: I have read the conditions. They seem unexceptionable.To take exception to something means to disapprove, raise an objection. You will probably find exceptionally good weather unexceptionable
Fast/quick
These two are not completely interchangeable. Fast refers to speed of movement or action:A fast train. A fast run.Quick relates to the length of time an event or action takes:A quick meal. A quick reply. Using both adjectives in one sentence, you could say: They had a quick crossing because the boat was fast. He had a quick meal because he is a fast eater. Exception department: quick can mean speed if the movement or action is not sustained, abrupt: Try to get that window seat! Quick! or He is an odd kind of man, with very quick, nervous movements.
Farther/further
Good news! Further can now safely be used in place of farther although there is a difference according to the dictionary. Farther is the comparative of far and thus relates to physical distance:London-Eastbourne is farther than London-Brighton.Nobody will be worried if you use further here. Further means additional, other, subsequent:We have to await further developments.Floor/storey (Am.: story)Floor indicates the position in a building: second floor, top floor, etc. Storey refers to the height of a building: a ten-storey apartment block.
Historic/historical
Historic refers to something important that is or will be remembered in history, recorded by history: a historic meeting, historic decision, historic voyage, historic landmark, etc. Historical is the adjective for all other purposes when you mean to do with history: a historical play, historical novel, historical costumes, etc.
Human/humane
Human is the more frequent adjective when referring to matters concerning homo sapiens: human habitation, human failings, human ancestry, etc. Humane means benevolent, compassionate: humane treatment is decent treatment.
In future/in the future
In future means from now on, starting now: All goods will in future be sent by our own transport.In the future is more vague and means at some unspecified later date:We hope to be able to send all goods by our own transport in the future. (As soon as we can afford three trucks.)While talking about 'the future', here is one small point you may find interesting. If today is the 5th of the month and you want to say that something will happen on the 26th, you have three ways of putting it:in three weeks; in three weeks from now; in three weeks' time. When using the last version, please don't forget the apostrophe in writing: In five hours'/days' /months'/ years' time.if/whetherIn many constructions these two words are indeed interchangeable:I am not sure if this is possible.I am not sure whether this is possible.The main difference is that whether is always assumed to be followed by or not. This means that in questions or requests an answer is usually expected. Take these two almost identical sentences: Let me know if you can come.The stress is here normally on the word know. The speaker or writer tells you here: If you can come, please let me know. (If you can't, don't bother to notify me). On the other hand, someone may tell you: Let me know whether you can come. This says: Please let me know whether you can come or not. An answer is required.
Imply/infer
Many people think that these two mean the same thing. There is a difference worth remembering.Imply is what the speaker or writer does: says, suggests, insinuates, hints at something that can be interpreted in a certain way. Infer is what the listener or reader does: concludes, guesses, deduces, thinks. Taking the two together, you could say:When she implied that she was very busy, he inferred that he was not welcome.The two nouns are implication and inference. (Inference has the stress on the first syllable. The remainder is pronounced like the same syllables in 'reference' )
Incredible/incredulous
Both have something to do with believe, as anyone will tell you who has ever battled with Latin.Facts, events, reports, and other impersonal things are incredible (or credible): they are hard to believe. People can be incredulous, i.e. they don't believe what they read or hear. The two together: He was incredulous when he heard their incredible story.
Insulated/isolated
English has two words, where other languages only have one. Insulated is the technical word: protected against electricity, heat or cold. Isolated is the general adjective. It is used for anything that is separated, kept apart: When the tide rose, he found himself isolated on a tiny rock.
Last/latest
Last denotes final or most recent. This can be confusing: her last book can mean that she never wrote any others or that it is her most recent literary effort. Latest makes the position quite clear; it means the most recent of several, leaving open the possibility of more to come: our latest model, their latest publication, her latest hairstyle.
Less/fewer
An interesting pair. Less is followed by a noun in the singular and is used when referring to extent, degree, and quantity in bulk. Fewer is followed by a noun in the plural and refers to quantity in terms of units. A few examples: less milk; fewer bottles; less help; fewer assistants; less money; fewer pesetas; less expense;fewer bills; less weight; fewer kilos
Libel/slander
Both mean the same: making false, damaging statements; telling lies about a person or company.Libel, however, is something written, usually a newspaper article. Slander is spreading all that nasty information verbally. As it is much easier to prove written defamation than word-of-mouth comment, you will sometimes hear about a libel suit; hardly ever about legal action involving slander.
Lie/lay
These two are often mixed up in English-speaking countries, mainly in the past tense.There are two separate verbs: to lie means to recline, to be in a horizontal position. It is irregular: to lie - lay - lain. He likes to lie in bed until lunchtime. The book lay on the shelf. The ring must have lain on the counter.It is an intransitive verb, i.e. you cannot add a direct object. You may lie on the floor, if you like that sort of thing; but you cannot lie something on the floor. You then need the other verb: It is to lay, which means to place, to put. It is irregular: to lay - laid -laid. It is transitive, i.e. it can be followed by a direct object: Let me lay the table. She must have laid it there by mistake. The ostrich laid an enormous egg.A frequent mistake is saying he lay it on the table. As you now know, it should be: He laid it on the table. Note: Just to complete the picture, there is also a third verb to lie, which means telling something that is not true. It is regular: to lie – lied - lied,
Long/lengthy
These two often mean the same, except when referring to something you have to read or listen to, when lengthy can imply that you were bored:He produced a lengthy report after his trip to Korea . Many pages, but not terribly entertaining.
Much/many
In the same way as less and fewer, much applies to bulk, mass, an unspecified quantity. Many are objects you can count:much money, much demand, much traffic, much food.many guilders, many orders, many cars, many dishes The same definition applies to much worry/many worries and much trouble/many troubles. Much worry is the total extent of your problems. Many worries are the individual headaches that bother you.
Murder/assassinate
The difference is simple: you and I are murdered. Statesmen and other important people are assassinated.
Offer/quotation
An offer is more general. It can be verbal or in writing. It is often applied to bulk goods with a variable price: We are interested in an offer for 250 tonnes of prime bleached sulphite pulp. The American unit of weight is still called ton.A quotation is more formal. It is always in writing and is the best term for a detailed proposal: Please let us have your quotation for Model KLB 2000 with power feed, rotary table, and grinding attachment. An offer is often based on a price calculation, a quotation on a fixed price list.Outside the office you also have a verbal offer when you tell someone how much you are prepared to pay. For a used car, for example. An offer at an auction is called a bid.
Official/officious
No problem with the adjective official, which means the same as in other languages: properly authorized. Officious describes a person who is over-keen to give service, who rushes around and upsets people. The best noun would be busybody. An officious waiter can ruin your carefully planned business lunch, if your guest becomes irritated and is in no mood to discuss the proposed contract.
Older/elder
Older is the general-purpose comparative form of old: old - older -oldest. Elder and eldest refer to family members and are always attributive adjectives: my elder brother, my eldest sister. You cannot say my brother is elder than I.
On time/in time
On time means punctual: The train is on time.In time means not late, before the last minute. In good time gives you a little extra:We should get a window seat if we get there in (good) time.
Passed/past
Identical pronunciation can cause mistakes; passed is a verb form, the simple past or past participle of to pass:She passed the test. They passed over the bridge.Past is here a preposition, applied to time or space:It is now half past ten. The ball whistled past the goal post.
Practical/practicable
Practical has to do with reality, with practice, with a good idea: it seems the only practical solution.You are a practical person if you can knock a nail into the wall without hitting your thumb. Practicable means possible, something that can be put into practice: This idea is unfortunately not practicable. This means it can't be done. A practical suggestion may not be practicable.Negative versions: unpractical and impracticable. (Impractical can be found in American English.) Practically is colloquial for almost: The book is practically finished.
Principle/principal
As these two sound completely alike, spelling mistakes are not uncommon. Principle is a noun and means the motive guiding an action or attitude.He looks narrow-minded, but we have to respect his principles. It can also be the basic element: I am not worried about the extra 50 cents, it's the principle that bothers me. Principal as adjective means main, chief, first, foremost: Their principal export is bananas. As a noun it means the head of an institution, usually of a school or college: Let's see the Principal about Willie's bad exam results.In business an agent may refer to the firm or person he represents as his principals: We are authorized to sign on behalf of our principals.
Question/query
A question is a straight request for information. The person asking it may know something about the subject; he may know nothing. A query is the result of some doubt in the mind of the speaker or writer who usually knows something about the subject.Clever you and I, listening to the lecture on The Advantages and Risks inherent in Pressurized Water System Nuclear Reactors', may afterwards raise a query. Jack over there, who slept solidly throughout the talk, will wake up and ask a question.
Readable/legible
Readable is easy to read because of style:The highly complicated subject was treated in a readable manner. If you want to make sure that your books are read by a wide audience, you must make them readable, i.e. easy to understand, a pleasure to read. Legible is also easy to read, but because the printing or writing is clear:Some pages in this old bible are hardly legible.
Small/little
Small is the neutral, general-purpose word, but little has an emotional element and conveys a personal attitude to the object.They have a small fox terrier describes size in a detached, matter-of-fact way. You should see their little cocker spaniel indicates that the speaker is rather fond of the little fellow.Another use of little, often unconnected with physical size, is as reinforcement of a negative opinion. When you say 'He is a nasty man!' you are obviously not over-impressed by his charm. When you hiss 'He is a nasty little man!', he must be very nasty indeed.
Large/big
The difference is the same as that between small and little. Large is for sober comment; big for a more personal or emotional opinion.An advertisement for a house, for example, may mention large dining room . When you have seen it, you are likely to tell your friends: 'it's got a big dining room'.
Stimulus/stimulant
As you can guess, these two words have something to do with getting things to move a bit faster, raising the interest level and other developments in the right direction. Stimulus is the abstract term:His enthusiasm was a tremendous stimulus to all of them.Stimulant is the concrete article, usually something you swallow to prevent you from going to sleep.
Tall/high
Both mean a certain distance from the ground. Tall implies a narrow base, something slender: a tall chimney, a tall mast, a tall person. High has a base of a certain width: a high wall, a high mountain, a high fence.When you are in doubt about someone who is tall but by no means slender (Fatty weighs 150 kilos), call him big. If a person is described as 'high' it means that he or she has had too much alcohol or drugs.
Uninterested/ disinterested
These two are very often mixed up in newspaper articles and even in books written by people who should know better. The difference is quite clear and should definitely be preserved.Uninterested means lacking in interest, by far the more frequently used of the two. Disinterested means unbiased, impartial, without self-interest or personal motive that could influence your attitude.The judge and jury in a court room must be interested in the case being tried, but must at the same time be disinterested. If a company is on trial and one of the jurors owns shares in it, he could not claim to be disinterested, i.e. to be free from the thought that an adverse verdict might hurt his pocket.uninterested=lack of interest; disinterested= disinterest
Very/much
Very usually qualifies an adjective to indicate degree: very funny, very deep, very loud, and so on. Much qualifies participles to indicate degree: much admired, much discussed, much appreciated, and so forth.Very can also be used to qualify a few participles that have assumed the meaning of adjectives. All of these have something to do with emotions or state of mind:very pleased, very alarmed, very worried, very frustrated, very impressed, very elatedWhenever you are in doubt about very or much, use a simple trick: say rather (weaker than very/much) or greatly (stronger than very/much). They usually fit: greatly perturbed, rather bothered, greatly underrated, etc.
Waste/wastage
Waste is usually avoidable: a waste of food, money, time, etc. Wastage is generally unavoidable. It is the natural loss of a substance through evaporation, normal leakage, and similar causes: wastage of fuel in a tank, water in a cistern, and so on.
Whisky/whiskey
Whisky is from Scotland ; whiskey from Ireland or North America . Plurals? Whiskies and whiskeys, respectively.
Beautiful/handsome/ pretty
Generalizing a little, we recommend beautiful for male babies and female persons of all ages.Handsome is suitable for males beyond the baby stage and women of slightly advanced age when beauty may be combined with a certain dignity. The description a handsome girl usually indicates a cautious assessment by the speaker, i.e. the girl has perhaps a bit of a horse face, but is otherwise not too repulsive. Pretty is applied to small girls and young women. If you are a woman of forty, you will prefer to be called pretty rather than handsome.Multi-purpose, uni-sex adjective, suitable for babies as well as grandmothers or grandfathers of 80? Good-looking.
Boat/ship/vessel
A boat can be of any size, from a rowing boat to an ocean liner. Be careful with professionals, however, because you will not be asked to the captain's table again after telling the master that his forty-thousand ton liner is a beautiful 'boat'. The correct word is ship, an ocean-going vessel. Vessel is the formal or generic term.
Former/ex/late
Former means still alive but no longer in the same job or position: our former manager, a former employee, one of my former pupils, etc.Ex- means the same as former, but often with the implication that the departure was not quite voluntary: ex-husband, ex-President, ex-mayor, etc.The late Jock Mac Tavish does not mean that Jock arrived at 4.30 when he should have been there at four o'clock. It means that he is dead. You do not need late when it is generally known that a person is no longer alive:It is attributed to President Truman but it belonged to her late grandfather.
Journey/voyage/ trip
Journey is any kind of travel of a certain distance. Voyage looks like the French 'voyage' but means travel by sea only. Both terms have lost the race against trip, that very short and ordinary-looking word. Trip used to mean a short journey by land, sea or air. Now it can be travel of any distance:We are going on a trip to the mountains. (23 miles) Have a good trip! (They are flying around the world.)Trip is not suitable when referring to distance or time. You then need the other two words:She has a journey of eight miles to get to the office. Europe-Australia can mean a voyage of five weeks.
Likely/apt/liable
Likely indicates that something is expected to happen, that it is probable:The application is likely to be approved tomorrow.Apt is applied to people or animals and denotes a tendency, a characteristic action or reaction:She is apt to be offended by your lack of interest.Liable is similar in meaning to likely and apt, but has a negative connotation, i.e. that something unpleasant will happen:If you use this shampoo, your hair is liable to fall out.
Packet/parcel/ package/pack
Packet is usually small, often machine-wrapped: A packet of envelopes.Parcel is of medium size, usually what you can carry or send through the post. The wrapping is normally done by an amateur like you and me.Package is bigger than a parcel. If you send me three towels, you make a parcel. If you send two dozen, you make a package.Pack can be the American equivalent of packet:A packet of cigarettes (British) - a pack of cigarettes (American).It is also a container for easy carrying: A six-pack of beer, for example. Back pack? That's the modern type of rucksack.
Sufficient/enough/ adequate/ ample
Sufficient is the same as enough but more formal. Adequate is just enough and no more. Our hotel room was adequate indicates no special enthusiasm. Ample is more than enough: Stop! Seven potatoes is ample!
Under/below/ underneath
Under is the most common preposition of the three. It describes situation or means less than:I found it under the house. It cost under ten dollars.Below applies to situation:They live below us. (This can be more than one storey lower) A fracture below the knee.It is also used in a few expressions:below expectations, below freezing point, below his rank, below the belt, etc.Underneath describes situation, usually the immediate underside:It was underneath the table top. They live underneath us. (On the floor directly under ours). Beneath is little used. It survives in such phrases as 'it was beneath his dignity'.
Wages/salary/ fee
Wages are normally paid weekly for manual work, piece work or the lower grades of clerical work. A salary is paid monthly to any other kind of employee.You pay a fee for professional services, i.e. work consisting of a specific job and not a fixed work period: medical fees, an architect's fee, legal fees, audit fees, and so on.
FACTS OF NAMES
Adobe - came from name of the river Adobe Creek that ran behind the house of founder John Warnock.
Apache - It got its name because its founders got started by applying patches to code written for NCSA's httpd daemon. The result was 'A PAtCHy' server -- thus, the name Apache
Apple Computers - favorite fruit of founder Steve Jobs. He was three months late in filing a name for the business, and he threatened to call his company Apple Computers if the other colleagues didn't suggest a better name by 5 o'clock.
CISCO - its not an acronym but the short for San Francisco.
Google - the name started as a jokey boast about the amount of information the search-engine would be able to search. It was originally named 'Googol', a word for the number represented by 1 followed by 100 zeros. After founders,Stanford grad students Sergey Brin and Larry Page presented their project to an angel investor, they received a cheque made out to 'Google'
Hotmail - Founder Jack Smith got the idea of accessing e-mail via the web from a computer anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with the business plan for the mail service, he tried all kinds of names ending in 'mail' and finally settled for hotmail as it included the letters "html" - the programming language used to write web pages. It was initially referred to as HoTMaiL with selective upper casing.
HP - Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard tossed a coin to decide whether the company they founded would be called Hewlett-Packard or Packard-Hewlett.
Intel - Bob Noyce and Gordon Moore wanted to name their new company 'Moore Noyce' but that was already trademarked by a hotel chain, so they had to settle for an acronym of INTegrated ELectronics.
Lotus (Notes) - Mitch Kapor got the name for his company from 'The Lotus Position' or 'Padmasana'. Kapor used to be a teacher of Transcendental Meditation (by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi).
Microsoft - coined by Bill Gates to represent the company that was devoted to MICROcomputer SOFTware. Originally christened Micro-Soft, the '-' was removed later on.
Motorola - Founder Paul Galvin came up with this name when his company started manufacturing radios for cars. The popular radio company at the time was called Victrola.
ORACLE - Larry Ellison and Bob Oats were working on a consulting projectfor the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency). The code name for the project was called Oracle (acronym for: One Real Asshole Called Larry Ellison)
Red Hat - Company founder Marc Ewing was given the Cornell lacrosse team cap (with red and white stripes) while at college by his grandfather. He lost it and had to search for it desperately. The manual of the beta version of Red Hat Linux had an appeal to readers to return his Red Hat if found by anyone !
SAP - "Systems, Applications, Products in Data Processing", formed by 4 ex-IBM employees who used to work in the 'Systems/Applications/Projects"
SUN - founded by 4 Stanford University buddies, SUN is the acronym for Stanford University Network.
Xerox - The inventor, Chestor Carlson, named his product trying to say 'dry' (asit was dry copying, markedly different from the then prevailing wet copying). The Greek root 'xer' means dry.
Yahoo! - the word was invented by Jonathan Swift and used in his book 'Gulliver's Travels'. It represents a person who is repulsive in appearance and action and is barely human. Yahoo! founders Jerry Yang and David Filo selected the name because they considered themselves yahoos
Apache - It got its name because its founders got started by applying patches to code written for NCSA's httpd daemon. The result was 'A PAtCHy' server -- thus, the name Apache
Apple Computers - favorite fruit of founder Steve Jobs. He was three months late in filing a name for the business, and he threatened to call his company Apple Computers if the other colleagues didn't suggest a better name by 5 o'clock.
CISCO - its not an acronym but the short for San Francisco.
Google - the name started as a jokey boast about the amount of information the search-engine would be able to search. It was originally named 'Googol', a word for the number represented by 1 followed by 100 zeros. After founders,Stanford grad students Sergey Brin and Larry Page presented their project to an angel investor, they received a cheque made out to 'Google'
Hotmail - Founder Jack Smith got the idea of accessing e-mail via the web from a computer anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with the business plan for the mail service, he tried all kinds of names ending in 'mail' and finally settled for hotmail as it included the letters "html" - the programming language used to write web pages. It was initially referred to as HoTMaiL with selective upper casing.
HP - Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard tossed a coin to decide whether the company they founded would be called Hewlett-Packard or Packard-Hewlett.
Intel - Bob Noyce and Gordon Moore wanted to name their new company 'Moore Noyce' but that was already trademarked by a hotel chain, so they had to settle for an acronym of INTegrated ELectronics.
Lotus (Notes) - Mitch Kapor got the name for his company from 'The Lotus Position' or 'Padmasana'. Kapor used to be a teacher of Transcendental Meditation (by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi).
Microsoft - coined by Bill Gates to represent the company that was devoted to MICROcomputer SOFTware. Originally christened Micro-Soft, the '-' was removed later on.
Motorola - Founder Paul Galvin came up with this name when his company started manufacturing radios for cars. The popular radio company at the time was called Victrola.
ORACLE - Larry Ellison and Bob Oats were working on a consulting projectfor the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency). The code name for the project was called Oracle (acronym for: One Real Asshole Called Larry Ellison)
Red Hat - Company founder Marc Ewing was given the Cornell lacrosse team cap (with red and white stripes) while at college by his grandfather. He lost it and had to search for it desperately. The manual of the beta version of Red Hat Linux had an appeal to readers to return his Red Hat if found by anyone !
SAP - "Systems, Applications, Products in Data Processing", formed by 4 ex-IBM employees who used to work in the 'Systems/Applications/Projects"
SUN - founded by 4 Stanford University buddies, SUN is the acronym for Stanford University Network.
Xerox - The inventor, Chestor Carlson, named his product trying to say 'dry' (asit was dry copying, markedly different from the then prevailing wet copying). The Greek root 'xer' means dry.
Yahoo! - the word was invented by Jonathan Swift and used in his book 'Gulliver's Travels'. It represents a person who is repulsive in appearance and action and is barely human. Yahoo! founders Jerry Yang and David Filo selected the name because they considered themselves yahoos
CRAZY FACTS
1)-> Nobody can create a FOLDER anywhere on the computer which can be named as "CON".This is something pretty cool...and unbelievable. ..At Microsoft the whole Team, couldn't answer why this happened!TRY IT NOW, IT WILL NOT CREATE "CON" FOLDER
2)-> This is something pretty cool and neat...and unbelievable. ..At Microsoft the whole Team, including Bill Gates, couldn't answer why this happened!Try it out yourself...Open Microsoft Word and type=rand (200, 99)And then press ENTER
3)-> For those of you using Windows, do the following:1. Open an empty notepad file2. Type "Bush hid the facts" (without the quotes)3. Save it as whatever you want.4. Close it, and re-open it.Is it just a really weird bug?You can try the same thing above with another sentence "this app can break"
2)-> This is something pretty cool and neat...and unbelievable. ..At Microsoft the whole Team, including Bill Gates, couldn't answer why this happened!Try it out yourself...Open Microsoft Word and type=rand (200, 99)And then press ENTER
3)-> For those of you using Windows, do the following:1. Open an empty notepad file2. Type "Bush hid the facts" (without the quotes)3. Save it as whatever you want.4. Close it, and re-open it.Is it just a really weird bug?You can try the same thing above with another sentence "this app can break"
CHEST PAIN CAUSES
Heart Attack Causes
A heart attack is caused by coronary heart disease, or coronary artery disease. Heart disease may be caused by cholesterol buildup in the coronary arteries (atherosclerosis) , blood clots, or spasm of the vessels that supply blood to the heart.
Risk factors for a heart attack are:
high blood pressure
diabetes
smoking
high cholesterol
family history of heart attacks at ages younger than 60 years, one or more previous heart attacks, male gender
obesity
Postmenopausal women are at higher risk than premenopausal women. This is thought to be due to loss of the protective effects of the hormone estrogen at menopause. It was previously treated by hormone supplements (hormone replacement therapy, or HRT). However, research findings have changed our thinking on HRT; long-term HRT is no longer recommended for most women.
Use of cocaine and similar stimulants.
Angina Causes
Angina may be caused by spasm, narrowing, or partial blockage of an artery that supplies blood to the heart.
The most common cause is coronary heart disease, in which a blood clot or buildup of fatty material inside the blood vessel (atherosclerosis) reduces blood flow but does not completely block the blood vessel.
Angina can be triggered by exercise or physical exertion, by emotional stress, or by certain heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias) that cause the heart to beat very fast.
Aortic Dissection Causes
Aortic dissection may be caused by conditions that damage the innermost lining of the aorta.
These include uncontrolled high blood pressure, connective-tissue diseases, cocaine use, advanced age, pregnancy, congenital heart disease, and cardiac catheterization (a medical procedure).
Men are at higher risk than women.
A similar condition is aortic aneurysm. This is an enlargement of the aorta that can rupture, causing pain and bleeding. Aneurysms can occur in the aorta in the chest or the abdomen.
Pulmonary Embolism Causes
Pulmonary embolism risk factors include:
sedentary lifestyle,
obesity,
prolonged immobility,
fracture of a long bone of the legs,
pregnancy,
cancer,
history or family history of blood clots,
irregular heartbeat (arrhythmias) ,
heart attack, or
congestive heart failure.
Women who use birth control pills and smoke cigarettes are at higher risk than women who have only one or neither of these risk factors (especially over the age of 35).
Spontaneous Pneumothorax Causes
Spontaneous pneumothorax (collapsed lung) occurs when the pressure balance between the sac that contains the lung and the outside atmosphere is disrupted.
Injury to the chest that pierces through to the lung sac is the most common cause of this condition.
This can be caused by trauma, as in a car wreck, bad fall, gunshot wound or stabbing, or in surgery.
Some very thin and tall people may suffer a spontaneous pneumothorax due to stretched lung tissues and abnormal air sacs in the upper portions of their lungs. It is possible for these abnormal air sacs to rupture with even a sneeze or excessive coughing.
Other risk factors for pneumothorax include AIDS-related pneumonia, emphysema, severe asthma, cystic fibrosis, cancer, and marijuana and crack cocaine use
Perforated Viscus Causes
Perforated viscus may be caused by direct or indirect injury. Irritation to the diaphragm in this case comes from below the chest. The diaphragm is the muscle that allows us to breathe. It is located up under the ribs and separates the chest and abdominal cavity. Any irritation to the diaphragm, even from below it, can cause pain to be felt in the chest.
Risk factors not related to trauma are:
untreated ulcers,
prolonged or forceful vomiting,
swallowing a foreign body,
cancer,
appendicitis,
long-term steroid use,
infection of the gallbladder,
gallstones, and
AIDS.
Pericarditis Causes
Pericarditis can be caused by viral infection, bacterial infection, cancer, connective-tissue diseases, certain medications, radiation treatment, and chronic renal failure.
One life-threatening complication of pericarditis is cardiac tamponade.
Cardiac tamponade is an accumulation of fluid around the heart. This prevents the heart from effectively pumping blood to the body.
Symptoms of cardiac tamponade include sudden onset of shortness of breath, fainting, and chest pain.
Pneumonia Causes
Pneumonia may be caused by viral, bacterial, or fungal infections of the lungs.
Esophagus Related Causes
Chest pain originating from the esophagus may have several causes.
Acid reflux (GERD) may be caused by any factors that decrease the pressure on the lower part of the esophagus, decreased movement of the esophagus, or prolonged emptying of the stomach. This condition may be brought on by:
consumption of high-fat foods,
nicotine use,
alcohol use,
caffeine, pregnancy,
certain medications (for example, nitrates, calcium channel blockers, anticholinergics, estrogen, progesterone),
diabetes, or
scleroderma.
Esophagitis may be caused by yeast, fungi, viruses, bacteria, or irritation from medications.
Esophageal spasm is caused by excessive, intensified, or uncoordinated contractions of the smooth muscle of the esophagus. Spasm may be triggered by emotional upset or swallowing very hot or cold liquids.
A heart attack is caused by coronary heart disease, or coronary artery disease. Heart disease may be caused by cholesterol buildup in the coronary arteries (atherosclerosis) , blood clots, or spasm of the vessels that supply blood to the heart.
Risk factors for a heart attack are:
high blood pressure
diabetes
smoking
high cholesterol
family history of heart attacks at ages younger than 60 years, one or more previous heart attacks, male gender
obesity
Postmenopausal women are at higher risk than premenopausal women. This is thought to be due to loss of the protective effects of the hormone estrogen at menopause. It was previously treated by hormone supplements (hormone replacement therapy, or HRT). However, research findings have changed our thinking on HRT; long-term HRT is no longer recommended for most women.
Use of cocaine and similar stimulants.
Angina Causes
Angina may be caused by spasm, narrowing, or partial blockage of an artery that supplies blood to the heart.
The most common cause is coronary heart disease, in which a blood clot or buildup of fatty material inside the blood vessel (atherosclerosis) reduces blood flow but does not completely block the blood vessel.
Angina can be triggered by exercise or physical exertion, by emotional stress, or by certain heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias) that cause the heart to beat very fast.
Aortic Dissection Causes
Aortic dissection may be caused by conditions that damage the innermost lining of the aorta.
These include uncontrolled high blood pressure, connective-tissue diseases, cocaine use, advanced age, pregnancy, congenital heart disease, and cardiac catheterization (a medical procedure).
Men are at higher risk than women.
A similar condition is aortic aneurysm. This is an enlargement of the aorta that can rupture, causing pain and bleeding. Aneurysms can occur in the aorta in the chest or the abdomen.
Pulmonary Embolism Causes
Pulmonary embolism risk factors include:
sedentary lifestyle,
obesity,
prolonged immobility,
fracture of a long bone of the legs,
pregnancy,
cancer,
history or family history of blood clots,
irregular heartbeat (arrhythmias) ,
heart attack, or
congestive heart failure.
Women who use birth control pills and smoke cigarettes are at higher risk than women who have only one or neither of these risk factors (especially over the age of 35).
Spontaneous Pneumothorax Causes
Spontaneous pneumothorax (collapsed lung) occurs when the pressure balance between the sac that contains the lung and the outside atmosphere is disrupted.
Injury to the chest that pierces through to the lung sac is the most common cause of this condition.
This can be caused by trauma, as in a car wreck, bad fall, gunshot wound or stabbing, or in surgery.
Some very thin and tall people may suffer a spontaneous pneumothorax due to stretched lung tissues and abnormal air sacs in the upper portions of their lungs. It is possible for these abnormal air sacs to rupture with even a sneeze or excessive coughing.
Other risk factors for pneumothorax include AIDS-related pneumonia, emphysema, severe asthma, cystic fibrosis, cancer, and marijuana and crack cocaine use
Perforated Viscus Causes
Perforated viscus may be caused by direct or indirect injury. Irritation to the diaphragm in this case comes from below the chest. The diaphragm is the muscle that allows us to breathe. It is located up under the ribs and separates the chest and abdominal cavity. Any irritation to the diaphragm, even from below it, can cause pain to be felt in the chest.
Risk factors not related to trauma are:
untreated ulcers,
prolonged or forceful vomiting,
swallowing a foreign body,
cancer,
appendicitis,
long-term steroid use,
infection of the gallbladder,
gallstones, and
AIDS.
Pericarditis Causes
Pericarditis can be caused by viral infection, bacterial infection, cancer, connective-tissue diseases, certain medications, radiation treatment, and chronic renal failure.
One life-threatening complication of pericarditis is cardiac tamponade.
Cardiac tamponade is an accumulation of fluid around the heart. This prevents the heart from effectively pumping blood to the body.
Symptoms of cardiac tamponade include sudden onset of shortness of breath, fainting, and chest pain.
Pneumonia Causes
Pneumonia may be caused by viral, bacterial, or fungal infections of the lungs.
Esophagus Related Causes
Chest pain originating from the esophagus may have several causes.
Acid reflux (GERD) may be caused by any factors that decrease the pressure on the lower part of the esophagus, decreased movement of the esophagus, or prolonged emptying of the stomach. This condition may be brought on by:
consumption of high-fat foods,
nicotine use,
alcohol use,
caffeine, pregnancy,
certain medications (for example, nitrates, calcium channel blockers, anticholinergics, estrogen, progesterone),
diabetes, or
scleroderma.
Esophagitis may be caused by yeast, fungi, viruses, bacteria, or irritation from medications.
Esophageal spasm is caused by excessive, intensified, or uncoordinated contractions of the smooth muscle of the esophagus. Spasm may be triggered by emotional upset or swallowing very hot or cold liquids.
CTR + C
Here is some useful information for all.
Ctrl+C may be the most important work we do everyday. But it's not a very safe thing to do. Read on to know why. What happens when you press Ctrl+C while you are Online... We do copy various data by Ctrl + C for pasting elsewhere.
This copied data is stored in clipboard and is accessible from the net by a combination of java-scripts and ASP.
Just try this: 1) Copy any text by Ctrl + C
2) Click the Link: http://www.sourcecodesworld.com/special/clipboard.asp
3) You will see the text you copied was accessed by this web page.
Do not keep sensitive data (like passwords, credit card numbers, PIN etc.) in the clipboard while surfing the web. It is extremely easy to extract the text stored in the clipboard to steal your sensitive information.
Ctrl+C may be the most important work we do everyday. But it's not a very safe thing to do. Read on to know why. What happens when you press Ctrl+C while you are Online... We do copy various data by Ctrl + C for pasting elsewhere.
This copied data is stored in clipboard and is accessible from the net by a combination of java-scripts and ASP.
Just try this: 1) Copy any text by Ctrl + C
2) Click the Link: http://www.sourcecodesworld.com/special/clipboard.asp
3) You will see the text you copied was accessed by this web page.
Do not keep sensitive data (like passwords, credit card numbers, PIN etc.) in the clipboard while surfing the web. It is extremely easy to extract the text stored in the clipboard to steal your sensitive information.
KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
WORD
A plus sign indicates that the keys need to be pressed at the same time.
Action Keystroke
Document actions
Open a file CTRL+O
New file CTRL+N
Close a file CTRL+W
Save As F12
Save CTRL+S or SHIFT+F12
Print Preview CTRL+F2
Print CTRL+P
Show/Hide paragraph symbols CTRL+*
Spelling and grammar F7
Help F1
Find CTRL+F
Replace CTRL+H
Go To CTRL+G
Cursor movement
Select all - entire document CTRL+A
Select from cursor to beginning of line SHIFT+Home
Select from cursor to end of line SHIFT+END
Go to beginning of line HOME
Go to end of line END
Go to beginning of document CTRL+Home
Go to end of document CTRL+End
FORMATTING
Cut CTRL+X
Copy CTRL+C
Paste CTRL+V
Undo CTRL+Z
Redo CTRL+Y
Format painter CTRL+SHIFT+C
Left alignment CTRL+L
Center alignment CTRL+E
Right alignment CTRL+R
Justified CTRL+J
Delete previous word CTRL+Backspace
Apply bulleted list CTRL+SHIFT+L
Indent CTRL+M
Page break CTRL+Enter
TEXT STYLE
Font face CTRL+SHIFT+F
Font size CTRL+SHIFT+P
Bold CTRL+B
Italics CTRL+I
Underline CTRL+U
Double underline CTRL+SHIFT+D
Word underline CTRL+SHIFT+W
All caps CTRL+SHIFT+A
Change case SHIFT+F3
Subscript CTRL+=
Superscript CTRL+SHIFT+=
Make web hyperlink CTRL+K
TABLES
Go to next cell Tab
Go to previous cell SHIFT+Tab
Go to beginning of column ALT+PageUp
Highlight to beginning of column ALT+SHIFT+PageUp
Go to end of column ALT+PageDown
Highlight to end of column ALT+SHIFT+PageDown
Go to beginning of row ALT+Home
Highlight to beginning of row ALT+SHIFT+Home
Go to end of row ALT+End
Highlight to end of row ALT+SHIFT+End
Column break CTRL+SHIFT+Enter
MISCELLENOUS
Copyright symbol - © ALT+CTRL+C
Date field ALT+SHIFT+D
Go to footnotes ALT+CTRL+F
Show/Hide ¶ CTRL+SHIFT+8
Thesaurus SHIFT+F7
EXCEL KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
Document actions
Open a file CTRL+O
New file CTRL+N
Save As F12
Save CTRL+S
Print CTRL+P
Find CTRL+F
Replace CTRL+H
Go to F5
Cursor Movement
One cell up up arrow
One cell down down arrow
One cell right Tab
One cell left SHIFT+Tab
Top of worksheet (cell A1) CTRL+Home
End of worksheet(last cell with data) CTRL+End
End of row Home
End of column CTRL+left arrow
Move to next worksheet CTRL+PageDown
FORMULAS
Apply AutoSum ALT+=
Current date CTRL+;
Current time CTRL+:
Spelling F7
Help F1
Macros ALT+F8
Selecting Cells
All cells left of current cell SHIFT+left arrow
All cells right of current cell SHIFT+right arrow
Entire column CTRL+Spacebar
Entire row SHIFT+Spacebar
Entire worksheet CTRL+A
TEXT STYLE
Bold CTRL+B
Italics CTRL+I
Underline CTRL+U
Strikethrough CTRL+5
FORMATTING
Edit active cell F2
Format as currency with 2 decimal places SHIFT+CTRL+$
Format as percent with no decimal places SHIFT+CTRL+%
Cut CTRL+X
Copy CTRL+C
Paste CTRL+V
Undo CTRL+Z
Redo CTRL+Y
Format cells dialog box CTRL+1
A plus sign indicates that the keys need to be pressed at the same time.
Action Keystroke
Document actions
Open a file CTRL+O
New file CTRL+N
Close a file CTRL+W
Save As F12
Save CTRL+S or SHIFT+F12
Print Preview CTRL+F2
Print CTRL+P
Show/Hide paragraph symbols CTRL+*
Spelling and grammar F7
Help F1
Find CTRL+F
Replace CTRL+H
Go To CTRL+G
Cursor movement
Select all - entire document CTRL+A
Select from cursor to beginning of line SHIFT+Home
Select from cursor to end of line SHIFT+END
Go to beginning of line HOME
Go to end of line END
Go to beginning of document CTRL+Home
Go to end of document CTRL+End
FORMATTING
Cut CTRL+X
Copy CTRL+C
Paste CTRL+V
Undo CTRL+Z
Redo CTRL+Y
Format painter CTRL+SHIFT+C
Left alignment CTRL+L
Center alignment CTRL+E
Right alignment CTRL+R
Justified CTRL+J
Delete previous word CTRL+Backspace
Apply bulleted list CTRL+SHIFT+L
Indent CTRL+M
Page break CTRL+Enter
TEXT STYLE
Font face CTRL+SHIFT+F
Font size CTRL+SHIFT+P
Bold CTRL+B
Italics CTRL+I
Underline CTRL+U
Double underline CTRL+SHIFT+D
Word underline CTRL+SHIFT+W
All caps CTRL+SHIFT+A
Change case SHIFT+F3
Subscript CTRL+=
Superscript CTRL+SHIFT+=
Make web hyperlink CTRL+K
TABLES
Go to next cell Tab
Go to previous cell SHIFT+Tab
Go to beginning of column ALT+PageUp
Highlight to beginning of column ALT+SHIFT+PageUp
Go to end of column ALT+PageDown
Highlight to end of column ALT+SHIFT+PageDown
Go to beginning of row ALT+Home
Highlight to beginning of row ALT+SHIFT+Home
Go to end of row ALT+End
Highlight to end of row ALT+SHIFT+End
Column break CTRL+SHIFT+Enter
MISCELLENOUS
Copyright symbol - © ALT+CTRL+C
Date field ALT+SHIFT+D
Go to footnotes ALT+CTRL+F
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Find Your Lost Mobile
Please preserve the IMEI number in a notepad and send to your gmail so that it will be permanetly with you.
IMEI Number :-Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number is an international identity number used to uniquely identify a mobile phone. The 15-digit IMEI number is an electronic fingerprint transmitted every time a phone is used, which reveals the identity of the mobile handset.How can I find out my IMEI number? IMEI numbers are independent of the phone number and are usually written underneath the battery or on the back of the handset. Mobile phone users can also check their 15 digit IMEI number by dialling *#06# on their mobile handset. Mobile phone owners should make a note of their IMEI number and keep the details in a safe place.
If u lost your mobile, send an e-mail to cop@vsnl.net
with the following info.
Your name: Address: Phone model: Make: Last used No.: E-mail for communication: Missed date: IMEI No.: "No need to go to police station"
DREAMS
Dreaming is defined as the subjective experience of imaginary images, sounds/voices, thoughts or sensations during sleep. Dreams represent a world of imagery in which our darkest fears, deepest secrets, and most passionate fantasies break out from the unconscious mind and only at this time become present to our own consciousness. There are several key questions that need to be addressed; for instance, "Why do we dream? What do dreams mean? And, where do dreams come from?" The answers to these questions are not that simple; however, recent studies and research has come a long way into divulging the human psyche and what dreams really are. Dreaming usually occurs in the R.E.M. stage (rapid-eye movement) of sleep, in which brain activity is high and signaled by rapid horizontal movements of the eyes. Sometimes dreams occur during the other stages of sleep; however, these are much less memorable and less clear. They can sometimes last for a few seconds, or as long as twenty minutes. Dreams are a symbol and link to the inner core of the human subconscious. They can vary from normal and mundane, to surreal and bizarre. Dreams can often times drive creative thought, or provoke a sense of inspiration. Scientists believe everybody dreams, but sometimes we forget. We tend to forget when we naturally pass out of sleep through the traditional cycle. If a person is awoken directly from REM sleep (i.e. by an alarm clock), they are much more likely remember the dream from that REM cycle. Although it's most likely that not all dreams will be remembered because they occur in REM cycles, which are interrupted by periods of “delta sleep” which in turn have a tendency to cause the memory of previous dreams to fade.
Dreams have always intrigued people from all over the world. Some people think that a good dream is something that should be looked upon as a message. Many people from around the world are intrigued by their dreams and they often will tell you that their dreams have to mean something. People are often compelled by the meaning behind dreams. Sigmund Freud even wrote a book about dreams and what they can possibly mean. Biblical characters such as Joseph (step-father of Jesus Christ) stated that an angel visited him in a dream and told him that his fiancée Mary was to bear a son and he shall be called the prince of peace and Lord of Lords. He believed that this dream had great significance to his life.A lot of people around the world want to see a dream as a warning sign or an eye opener. People have often followed their dreams and became something great because of it. William Shakespeare had a dream of becoming a writer. It is said that he used to dream about this and really believe that he was going to become a published author and it happened. People all over the world want to do something with their life and our dreams can often help to guide and to lead us on a proper path. Some people find their dreams to be to unrealistic. A common dream is a person falling off of a cliff. This dream has been shared by millions of people around the world. The dream does not mean that you will literally fall off of a hill. It simply means that there is great potential there for you to fall into a mess of some sort. Your dreams have great meaning; however it may have hidden meanings behind them.
Dreams have always intrigued people from all over the world. Some people think that a good dream is something that should be looked upon as a message. Many people from around the world are intrigued by their dreams and they often will tell you that their dreams have to mean something. People are often compelled by the meaning behind dreams. Sigmund Freud even wrote a book about dreams and what they can possibly mean. Biblical characters such as Joseph (step-father of Jesus Christ) stated that an angel visited him in a dream and told him that his fiancée Mary was to bear a son and he shall be called the prince of peace and Lord of Lords. He believed that this dream had great significance to his life.A lot of people around the world want to see a dream as a warning sign or an eye opener. People have often followed their dreams and became something great because of it. William Shakespeare had a dream of becoming a writer. It is said that he used to dream about this and really believe that he was going to become a published author and it happened. People all over the world want to do something with their life and our dreams can often help to guide and to lead us on a proper path. Some people find their dreams to be to unrealistic. A common dream is a person falling off of a cliff. This dream has been shared by millions of people around the world. The dream does not mean that you will literally fall off of a hill. It simply means that there is great potential there for you to fall into a mess of some sort. Your dreams have great meaning; however it may have hidden meanings behind them.
AIR
The atmosphere surrounding Earth is full of air! The air in our atmosphere is made of molecules of different gases. The most common gases are nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (about 21%). There are other types of air molecules as well, but in very small quantities. Air is important for almost all life on Earth including plants and animals. Plants need gasses from air to do photosynthesis. Animals need to breath air to get the oxygen they need to survive.
As you move up in altitude through the atmosphere, the concentration of air molecules decreases. Some people call this "thin air". The air is thinner higher in the atmosphere because there is lower pressure the higher you go up.
There is a special layer of air molecules high in the stratosphere layer of Earth’s atmosphere, called the ozone layer. The composition of the atmosphere is different in the ozone layer. There are more ozone molecules than anywhere else. Ozone molecules help block some of the Sun’s strongest rays. Currently, scientists are monitoring this layer. It has recently become so thin at the South Pole where the molecules are being destroyed that we call it a “hole”.
AIR PRESSURE
Molecules in Earth’s atmosphere constantly bounce off each other and everything else around them. The force exerted by these air molecules is called air pressure. Molecules that are packed closely are at higher pressure than molecules that are more spread out. The molecules inside this balloon are at a higher pressure than the molecules outside the balloon.
What's a high pressure system?Sometimes, high in the sky, air slows its forward motion and piles up. This is called convergence. The piled-up air sinks. When the sinking air reaches the Earth’s surface, it spreads out. This is called divergence. In the Northern Hemisphere it spreads out with clockwise surface rotation and is called a high pressure system.
What's a low pressure system?High in the sky, air moves away from an area faster than air enters an area. When air spreads out (divergence) at high altitudes, air from below flows upward to fill the space, making a low pressure system. The system has surface convergence and anti-clockwise rotation in the Northern Hemisphere.
STABLE AND UNSTABLE
Weather is strongly affected by how stable or unstable the atmosphere is. Stable air means that the weather is likely to be calm. It may rain or snow slowly and steadily, it may be sunny, but the weather will not change quickly. Unstable air means that the weather might change quickly with very little warning. Unstable air leads to sudden thunderstorms.
What makes the atmosphere stable or unstable? Picture an invisible box of air called an air parcel. If we compare the temperature of this air parcel to the temperature of air surrounding it, we can tell if it is stable (likely to remain in place) or unstable (likely to move). Click below to see the animation of stable and unstable air parcels.
LAYERS
The atmosphere is a protective layer of gasses that surrounds the entire planet. It keeps temperatures within a relatively small range, blocks out harmful rays of sunlight, and provides plants and animals with air to respire. The atmosphere has five different layers that are determined by the changes in temperature that happen with increasing altitude.
TroposphereThe troposphere is where weather happens. The part of this layer that is closest to the Earth is warmer than the top of the layer. The air is heated by the surface of the Earth, which absorbs the Sun’s energy.
StratosphereThe stratosphere is where jet airplanes fly. Temperatures increase with altitude. The ozone layer within the stratosphere absorbs harmful ultraviolet rays of sunlight.
MesosphereBrrr! The coldest parts of our atmosphere are found in the mesosphere. It can reach–90°C up there!
ThermosphereThere are few air molecules is the thermosphere. The thermosphere can heat up to 1,500°C or higher when the Sun is active, making an aurora that lights up the night sky. Astronauts orbiting Earth in the space station or space shuttle spend their time in this layer.
ExosphereThe upper layer of our atmosphere, where atoms and molecules escape into space, is called the exosphere.
As you move up in altitude through the atmosphere, the concentration of air molecules decreases. Some people call this "thin air". The air is thinner higher in the atmosphere because there is lower pressure the higher you go up.
There is a special layer of air molecules high in the stratosphere layer of Earth’s atmosphere, called the ozone layer. The composition of the atmosphere is different in the ozone layer. There are more ozone molecules than anywhere else. Ozone molecules help block some of the Sun’s strongest rays. Currently, scientists are monitoring this layer. It has recently become so thin at the South Pole where the molecules are being destroyed that we call it a “hole”.
AIR PRESSURE
Molecules in Earth’s atmosphere constantly bounce off each other and everything else around them. The force exerted by these air molecules is called air pressure. Molecules that are packed closely are at higher pressure than molecules that are more spread out. The molecules inside this balloon are at a higher pressure than the molecules outside the balloon.
What's a high pressure system?Sometimes, high in the sky, air slows its forward motion and piles up. This is called convergence. The piled-up air sinks. When the sinking air reaches the Earth’s surface, it spreads out. This is called divergence. In the Northern Hemisphere it spreads out with clockwise surface rotation and is called a high pressure system.
What's a low pressure system?High in the sky, air moves away from an area faster than air enters an area. When air spreads out (divergence) at high altitudes, air from below flows upward to fill the space, making a low pressure system. The system has surface convergence and anti-clockwise rotation in the Northern Hemisphere.
STABLE AND UNSTABLE
Weather is strongly affected by how stable or unstable the atmosphere is. Stable air means that the weather is likely to be calm. It may rain or snow slowly and steadily, it may be sunny, but the weather will not change quickly. Unstable air means that the weather might change quickly with very little warning. Unstable air leads to sudden thunderstorms.
What makes the atmosphere stable or unstable? Picture an invisible box of air called an air parcel. If we compare the temperature of this air parcel to the temperature of air surrounding it, we can tell if it is stable (likely to remain in place) or unstable (likely to move). Click below to see the animation of stable and unstable air parcels.
LAYERS
The atmosphere is a protective layer of gasses that surrounds the entire planet. It keeps temperatures within a relatively small range, blocks out harmful rays of sunlight, and provides plants and animals with air to respire. The atmosphere has five different layers that are determined by the changes in temperature that happen with increasing altitude.
TroposphereThe troposphere is where weather happens. The part of this layer that is closest to the Earth is warmer than the top of the layer. The air is heated by the surface of the Earth, which absorbs the Sun’s energy.
StratosphereThe stratosphere is where jet airplanes fly. Temperatures increase with altitude. The ozone layer within the stratosphere absorbs harmful ultraviolet rays of sunlight.
MesosphereBrrr! The coldest parts of our atmosphere are found in the mesosphere. It can reach–90°C up there!
ThermosphereThere are few air molecules is the thermosphere. The thermosphere can heat up to 1,500°C or higher when the Sun is active, making an aurora that lights up the night sky. Astronauts orbiting Earth in the space station or space shuttle spend their time in this layer.
ExosphereThe upper layer of our atmosphere, where atoms and molecules escape into space, is called the exosphere.
PLANETS
Lying within the vast expanse of the solar system, there are nine known planets that orbit the colossal star we all know as the sun. A planet is defined as a large non-luminous celestial mass that is generally larger than smaller celestial bodies such as comets or asteroids.
While it is still not known precisely how the planets of our solar system were formed, the currently accepted nine planets that orbit around and are illuminated by the sun include Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. The primary distinction between a star and a planet is that a star undergoes nuclear reactions on its surface, where a planet does not.
Every known planet in the solar system, with the exception of Earth and Uranus, is named after a historical Roman god. Uranus is named for a Greek god. Earth was not originally considered a planet by ancient people, but as the supposed center of the entire universe. Each of the planets in the solar system also has at least one additional celestial body, known as a moon that orbits around it while it orbits the sun. Mercury and Venus are the only planets with no known moons. Earth has the next fewest with just one moon, while Jupiter has an incredible 63 discovered moons.
Uncover additional information about the planets of the solar system, including planet articles, planet pictures, interactive planet features and more below.
MERCURY
Mercury is often a difficult planet to find, but there are certain short periods each year when it can be found with the naked eye with little effort, either just after sunset or before sunrise.
In 2007, Northern Hemisphere observers will find two periods when Mercury can easily be found. During late May and early June, Mercury can be seen low in the west-northwest soon after sunset. It is magnitude -0.6 on May 21 and has faded to +0.4 by greatest elongation on June 2 and fades rapidly after that. Throughout November, Mercury is well placed in the east-southeast before sunrise.
Southern Hemisphere observers will find Mercury well placed in the morning sky during late March and early April and will rise well before twilight begins. In late September and early October, Mercury is well placed during the evening after sunset for southern observers.
VENUS
Except for a short period around inferior conjunction in mid August, Venus will be visible throughout the year for both northern and southern hemisphere observers. From January to early August, Venus dominates the evening sky. From late August until the end of the year, Venus is in the morning sky. Even near inferior conjunction, observers in the southern hemisphere may see the thin crescent of Venus low in the sky just before or after sunset. The planet can be seen in the daytime sky with the naked eye if one knows where to look for it, especially around the times of greatest brilliancy and greatest elongation. Try following the planet before sunrise when it is in the morning sky and keep an eye on it until after sunrise.
MARS
Mars is best visible in the morning sky until December and is generally not well placed for observation this year. The opposition on December 24 is not a favorable one but the high declination makes this best for observers in the northern hemisphere. The angular diameter at that time will be 15.9 seconds of arc. There will be an occultation of Mars by the full moon on December 24 visible from NW Canada, Alaska, N Russia, Eastern Europe and NE British Isles.
JUPITER
Jupiter in best viewed in the morning sky until the June 5 opposition, when it moves into the evening sky. It becomes invisible late in the year near conjunction. The angular diameter at opposition will be 45.8 seconds of arc. Jupiter passes highest in the sky for southern hemisphere observers. Binoculars will show the four largest satellites. A small telescope will show two of the cloud bands across the visible surface of the planet.
SATURN
Saturn can be viewed in the evening sky until July, when it approaches conjunction with the Sun. From September to the end of the year, it will be visible in the morning sky. Saturn passes highest in the sky for northern hemisphere observers this year. The ring system will vary in tilt between 7 and 15 degrees this year. The maximum possible tilt is 27 degrees, which last occurred in 2003. The rings will appear edge-on in 2009. At opposition, the angular diameter will be 16.3 seconds of arc. A small telescope will show the rings.
URANUS
Uranus is best viewed in late summer and is in opposition on September 7, when it moves from the morning sky into the evening sky. Although it may be seen with the naked eye in a very dark sky, usually binoculars will be required to make it out. The angular diameter is less than 4 seconds of arc.
NEPTUNE
Neptune is best viewed during the summer and is in opposition on August 13 when it moves from the morning sky into the evening sky. Binoculars or a small telescope will be required to see it. The angular diameter is about 2 seconds of arc.
While it is still not known precisely how the planets of our solar system were formed, the currently accepted nine planets that orbit around and are illuminated by the sun include Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. The primary distinction between a star and a planet is that a star undergoes nuclear reactions on its surface, where a planet does not.
Every known planet in the solar system, with the exception of Earth and Uranus, is named after a historical Roman god. Uranus is named for a Greek god. Earth was not originally considered a planet by ancient people, but as the supposed center of the entire universe. Each of the planets in the solar system also has at least one additional celestial body, known as a moon that orbits around it while it orbits the sun. Mercury and Venus are the only planets with no known moons. Earth has the next fewest with just one moon, while Jupiter has an incredible 63 discovered moons.
Uncover additional information about the planets of the solar system, including planet articles, planet pictures, interactive planet features and more below.
MERCURY
Mercury is often a difficult planet to find, but there are certain short periods each year when it can be found with the naked eye with little effort, either just after sunset or before sunrise.
In 2007, Northern Hemisphere observers will find two periods when Mercury can easily be found. During late May and early June, Mercury can be seen low in the west-northwest soon after sunset. It is magnitude -0.6 on May 21 and has faded to +0.4 by greatest elongation on June 2 and fades rapidly after that. Throughout November, Mercury is well placed in the east-southeast before sunrise.
Southern Hemisphere observers will find Mercury well placed in the morning sky during late March and early April and will rise well before twilight begins. In late September and early October, Mercury is well placed during the evening after sunset for southern observers.
VENUS
Except for a short period around inferior conjunction in mid August, Venus will be visible throughout the year for both northern and southern hemisphere observers. From January to early August, Venus dominates the evening sky. From late August until the end of the year, Venus is in the morning sky. Even near inferior conjunction, observers in the southern hemisphere may see the thin crescent of Venus low in the sky just before or after sunset. The planet can be seen in the daytime sky with the naked eye if one knows where to look for it, especially around the times of greatest brilliancy and greatest elongation. Try following the planet before sunrise when it is in the morning sky and keep an eye on it until after sunrise.
MARS
Mars is best visible in the morning sky until December and is generally not well placed for observation this year. The opposition on December 24 is not a favorable one but the high declination makes this best for observers in the northern hemisphere. The angular diameter at that time will be 15.9 seconds of arc. There will be an occultation of Mars by the full moon on December 24 visible from NW Canada, Alaska, N Russia, Eastern Europe and NE British Isles.
JUPITER
Jupiter in best viewed in the morning sky until the June 5 opposition, when it moves into the evening sky. It becomes invisible late in the year near conjunction. The angular diameter at opposition will be 45.8 seconds of arc. Jupiter passes highest in the sky for southern hemisphere observers. Binoculars will show the four largest satellites. A small telescope will show two of the cloud bands across the visible surface of the planet.
SATURN
Saturn can be viewed in the evening sky until July, when it approaches conjunction with the Sun. From September to the end of the year, it will be visible in the morning sky. Saturn passes highest in the sky for northern hemisphere observers this year. The ring system will vary in tilt between 7 and 15 degrees this year. The maximum possible tilt is 27 degrees, which last occurred in 2003. The rings will appear edge-on in 2009. At opposition, the angular diameter will be 16.3 seconds of arc. A small telescope will show the rings.
URANUS
Uranus is best viewed in late summer and is in opposition on September 7, when it moves from the morning sky into the evening sky. Although it may be seen with the naked eye in a very dark sky, usually binoculars will be required to make it out. The angular diameter is less than 4 seconds of arc.
NEPTUNE
Neptune is best viewed during the summer and is in opposition on August 13 when it moves from the morning sky into the evening sky. Binoculars or a small telescope will be required to see it. The angular diameter is about 2 seconds of arc.
OCEANS
The earth’s oceans make up more than 70% of its total surface area. More than half of this area of salt water is more than 9000 feet deep!
There are actually just three distinctly separate oceans in the world today; the World Ocean, the Black Ocean and the Caspian Sea. The largest ocean on earth is the World Ocean, measuring in at an immense 361 million square kilometers. The World Ocean is continentally divided into five smaller parts, which include the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Arctic Ocean and the Antarctic Ocean. Smaller portions of these oceans are typically classified as either seas, gulfs or straits.
The Mediterranean Sea unofficially became the world’s fourth ocean when the sea’s only outlet to the World Ocean, the Strait of Gibraltar, was closed due to the movement of the African continent.
The oceans of the world are home to the vast majority of the plant and animal species on earth, millions of which have yet to be
Salty Oceans?
Oceans make up about 70 percent of Earth’s surface and contain lots of different salts: sodium, chloride, sulfate, magnesium, calcium, potassium, bicarbonate, and bromide. These salts enter the ocean through rivers, which, before entering pass over rocks and soil, and pick up salt along the way.
This salt builds up in the ocean because the only way water can leave the ocean is through evaporation. And when the water evaporates it doesn't take the salt with it. So you end up with less water, and the same amount of salt, resulting in a pretty salty sea.
The same thing can happen to a smaller, landlocked body of water, such as the Great Salt Lake in Utah, where water evaporates quickly in the desert climate—the lake has dropped 20 feet since 1849. A favorite pastime for visitors is to float on the lake like a cork, because the high salt content makes people more buoyant.
ANCIENT OCEANS
Continental drift has reconfigured the Earth's oceans, joining and splitting ancient oceans to form the current oceans. Ancient oceans include:
Bridge River Ocean, the ocean between the ancient Insular Islands and North America.
Iapetus Ocean, the southern hemisphere ocean between Baltica and Avalonia.
Panthalassa, the vast world ocean that surrounded the Pangaea supercontinent.
Rheic Ocean
Slide Mountain Ocean, the ocean between the ancient Intermontane Islands and North America.
Tethys Ocean, the ocean between the ancient continents of Gondwana and Laurasia.
Khanty Ocean, the ocean between Baltica and Siberia.
Mirovia, the ocean that surrounded the Rodinia supercontinent.
Paleo-Tethys Ocean, the ocean between Gondwana and the Hunic terranes.
Proto-Tethys Ocean,
Pan-African Ocean, the ocean that surrounded the Pannotia supercontinent.
Superocean, the ocean that surrounds a global supercontinent.
Ural Ocean, the ocean between Siberia and Baltica.
There are actually just three distinctly separate oceans in the world today; the World Ocean, the Black Ocean and the Caspian Sea. The largest ocean on earth is the World Ocean, measuring in at an immense 361 million square kilometers. The World Ocean is continentally divided into five smaller parts, which include the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Arctic Ocean and the Antarctic Ocean. Smaller portions of these oceans are typically classified as either seas, gulfs or straits.
The Mediterranean Sea unofficially became the world’s fourth ocean when the sea’s only outlet to the World Ocean, the Strait of Gibraltar, was closed due to the movement of the African continent.
The oceans of the world are home to the vast majority of the plant and animal species on earth, millions of which have yet to be
Salty Oceans?
Oceans make up about 70 percent of Earth’s surface and contain lots of different salts: sodium, chloride, sulfate, magnesium, calcium, potassium, bicarbonate, and bromide. These salts enter the ocean through rivers, which, before entering pass over rocks and soil, and pick up salt along the way.
This salt builds up in the ocean because the only way water can leave the ocean is through evaporation. And when the water evaporates it doesn't take the salt with it. So you end up with less water, and the same amount of salt, resulting in a pretty salty sea.
The same thing can happen to a smaller, landlocked body of water, such as the Great Salt Lake in Utah, where water evaporates quickly in the desert climate—the lake has dropped 20 feet since 1849. A favorite pastime for visitors is to float on the lake like a cork, because the high salt content makes people more buoyant.
ANCIENT OCEANS
Continental drift has reconfigured the Earth's oceans, joining and splitting ancient oceans to form the current oceans. Ancient oceans include:
Bridge River Ocean, the ocean between the ancient Insular Islands and North America.
Iapetus Ocean, the southern hemisphere ocean between Baltica and Avalonia.
Panthalassa, the vast world ocean that surrounded the Pangaea supercontinent.
Rheic Ocean
Slide Mountain Ocean, the ocean between the ancient Intermontane Islands and North America.
Tethys Ocean, the ocean between the ancient continents of Gondwana and Laurasia.
Khanty Ocean, the ocean between Baltica and Siberia.
Mirovia, the ocean that surrounded the Rodinia supercontinent.
Paleo-Tethys Ocean, the ocean between Gondwana and the Hunic terranes.
Proto-Tethys Ocean,
Pan-African Ocean, the ocean that surrounded the Pannotia supercontinent.
Superocean, the ocean that surrounds a global supercontinent.
Ural Ocean, the ocean between Siberia and Baltica.
GLOBAL WARMING
Global warming is one of the most serious challenges facing us today. To protect the health and economic well-being of current and future generations, we must reduce our emissions of heat-trapping gases by using the technology, know-how, and practical solutions already at our disposal.
Global warming is already under way. The evidence is vast and the urgency of taking action becomes clearer with every new scientific study. Some of the most obvious signs are visible in the Arctic, where rising temperatures and melting ice are dramatically changing the region’s unique landscapes and wildlife—as well as people’s lives and livelihoods. Across the globe, other early warning signs include melting glaciers, shifting ranges of plants and animals, and the earlier onset of spring.
Global warming is caused by emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases that are emitted primarily by the burning of fossil fuels and the clearing of forests. These gases remain in our atmosphere for decades or even centuries.
The profound impact rising temperatures have had in the Arctic provides a window into a future we may all experience. With continued warming, we can expect more extreme heat and drought, rising sea levels, and higher-intensity tropical storms. At risk are our coastal property and resources, the livability of our cities in summer, and the productivity of our farms, forests, and fisheries.
We can’t avoid all the consequences of global warming, but committing ourselves to action today can help ensure our children and grandchildren inherit a healthy world full of opportunity.
SOLUTIONS
We have the technology and ingenuity to reduce the threat of global warming today. Solutions are already available that will stimulate the American economy by creating jobs, saving consumers money, and protecting our national security. By investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency, and increasing the efficiency of the cars we drive, we can take essential steps toward reducing our dependence on oil and other fossil fuels that cause global warming.
Using energy more efficiently and moving to renewable energy (wind, solar, geothermal, and bioenergy) would significantly reduce our emissions of heat-trapping gases. The United States currently produces 70 percent of its electricity from fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and oil, but only two percent from renewable sources. Since the burning of fossil fuels releases large amounts of carbon dioxide—the leading cause of global warming—but renewable energy does not, increasing the share of our electricity generated from renewable resources is one of the most effective ways to reduce global warming emissions.
Cars and trucks are another significant source (25 percent) of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. A serious effort to address global warming must therefore reduce emissions from cars and trucks. Many technologies already exist that can do this, while also creating new jobs in the U.S. automotive sector and other industries throughout the country. In addition, American consumers would save billions of dollars on gasoline, and we would reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
By putting energy efficiency, renewable energy, and vehicle technology solutions in place at the federal level, we can reduce our contribution to global warming while creating a stronger, healthier, and more secure nation.
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