Monday, 29 December 2008

Unit 5-7 - "trade and financial activities in Hong Kong"

Trade is the buying and selling of goods and services between different countries or places. Parties involved can obtain goods or services that they need.

Import -- Buying and Importing from foreign countries→local consumption or re-export.

Export -- Selling and exporting of domestic good to foreign for profit.

Re-export -- Import from foreign, and sell it to another country without processing. Processed imported goods are treated as import and export but not re-export.

Visible (merchandise) trade -- It’s the buying and selling of physical commodities.

The situation of merchandise trade

Import -- Hong Kong lacks on natural resources but the demand on food, fuel and other consumer good is huge because the rapid growth of population and industries. Hong Kong mainly import raw materials, semi-finished good, machines, food, fuel and other consumer goods. They mainly imported from mainland, Japan, Taiwan and US.

Domestic export -- Since 1980s, Hong Kong’s manufacturing industry is declining due to the high production cost, immature high-tech. industries and the structural change of economy in Hong Kong. Hong Kong mainly export clothes, electrical machinery, jewellery, clock and watches and they will be exported to the mainland, US, UK and Germany.

Re-export -- Since the open door policy was adopted by China and joined the WTO in 2001, the demand of import and export increase while Hong Kong located at the main passage of water and land to and from the mainland with good transport facilities. Thus the value of re-export in Hong Kong is very high. There are various goods for re-exporting and mainly electrical machinery and toys. They mainly imported from neighbor countries and re-export ti mainland and US.

Merchandise trade balance = total value of (domestic exports - re-export-import)

It it’s positive, we have a merchandise trade surplus, if it’s zero, we have a balance of merchandise trade and if it’s negative, we suffers a merchandise trade deficit. We suffer a merchandise trade deficit since 1990s.

Invisible trade refers to the buying and selling of services.

The invisible income is the exporting of service locally providing to foreign countries.

The invisible expenditure is the importing of service from foreign countries to local people.

Note that service provide locally to local people isn’t any kind of invisible trade.

Invisible trade balance = Invisible income - Invisible expenditure while we also have the invisible trade balance, surplus and deficit. We have a invisible trade surplus these years.

The invisible trade is so important:

1) Invisible trade is the main source of foreign exchange.

2) The invisible trade surplus is huge that it can offset the merchandise trade deficit and have a trade surplus in total.

3) The service sector provides lots of job opportunities (mainly tourism and transport) since the declining of manufacturing industries.

The present situation --- The Invisible trade is booming now in Hong Kong. After China joined the WTO in 2001, China further open up it’s Markey and strengthen the role of Hong Kong as a two-way platform between the mainland and the world.

The Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership arrangement, CEPA, was signed in June, 2003 which benefits Hong Kong’s service industries:

1) 18 services sector is permitted to access into mainland market earlier, and

2) Residents from some provinces and cities can visit Hong Kong individually, and provides Hong Kong’s tourism and related industry more business opportunities.

Financial activities -- They refers to debt and credit, exchange and circulation of capital funds. Hong Kong is an international financial centre with some characteristics. For example, there’re lots of financial institutions→active financial activities. Free capital flow, free and fast information flow and no restrictions on identity of investors.

Hong Kong is developed into international financial centre and it has some favourable factors:

1) Stable investment environment -- good legal system and lox tax rate(political stability)

2) No foreign exchange control, free capital flow, and free trade policy. (Trade activities promotes financial activities)

3) The government has set up HKMA to regulate local banking services and SFC to supervise local financial activities.

4) Hong Kong bridges time gap between N America and Europe→24-hr financial activities.

5) Free of information flow and advanced telecommunication tech., facilities and services.

6) Pros on financial industry were provided (e.g. banking personnel, IT talents and lawyers)

7) Hong Kong has a close link to mainland which have a rapid economic growth. This attracts foreign investors to invest and raise fund in Hong Kong

The major financial activities in Hong Kong

1) Bank -- Hong Kong has a high concentration of bank institutions providing deposit taking, gold, silver trading and provision of loans. The key functions is that the banks accepts savings and provide interest to depositors, provide loans to borrowers and get interest.

2) Stock exchange -- Companies satisfying some requirements can be listed in Hong Kong, raise funds by issuing shares(open to public), register with Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.

3) Gold trade-- HK is the largest gold market in Asia and people can trade gold at the Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Society or in the Loco-London Gold Market.

There are certain improvements now, including enhance financial infrastructure by utilizing information technology, reform market regulatory framework for sufficient protection, enhance quality of personnel in financial industry and promote cooperation in the financial industry and strengthen the security of electronic services. After China joined WTO, Hong Kong had more business opportunities on services industries. For example, the financial industry enjoys earlier access to mainland than foreign companies, and allowed to provide four aspects of renmenbin services -- deposit taking, currency exchange, remittance and credit-card services.

Sunday, 28 December 2008

The Cold War

The begin of Cold War

“Cold” means no direct military conflict between two superpowers, Unites States (US) and Soviet Union (USSR). Their ideological differences between US (capitalism) and USSR(communism).

As they were superpowers, they had large land area, strong industry, large population, nuclear weapon, wealth, stable political system, natural resources, well foreign trade, strong armed forces and worldwide influence.

The two bloc -- capitalist bloc included US, western Europe and some other country. Communist bloc included USSR, eastern Europe, China and some other country. They fear attack, thought, nuclear weapon and mistrust intentions each others → Cold War started.

1) Soviet expansion -- After the end of WWII, UUSR started to control countries in eastern Europe that librated from Nazis and become it’s satellites. As a result, “Iron Curtain” had descended across Europe and separated the communist countries and the western democratic nations.

2) Truman Doctrine -- The president that time, Truman, thought that any communist revolution threatens US, and providing financial aid prevent those revolution. In Mar 1947, he stated that US could help all countries that felt threatened by communism. Meanwhile in the same year, Marshall Plan was going to offer financial aid to European nations. Then, USSR also proposed the Molotov Plan the help eastern Europe nation’s finance.

3) Berlin Crisis -- Germany was settled into four part after WWII to USSR, British, French and American zone. Berlin is divided Into four part also but Berlin is under Soviet’s zone. USSR wants to control the whole Berlin, so that in 1948, USSR stopped all land traffic from Berlin to western zones and the western provide supplies western Berlin by air everyday (successfully). At last USSR lifted the blockade in 1949. E and W Germany and Berlin were created and lots of East Germany people went into west Berlin. Berlin wall was built up in 1961 and block communication between them.

4) Capitalist countries formed a military alliance Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization”(NATO) in 1949 while USSR and it’s satellites set up Warsaw Treaty Organization in 1955.

5) Korean War (1950 - 1953), after WWII, Korean was divided into N and S Korea.

Capitalist representatives: H.Truman (US) and Rhee Synman (S Korea)

Communist representatives: Kim Il Sung (N Korea), Mao Zedong (PRC), .J.Stalin (USSR).

After the WWII, N Korea “believed in communism” and S Korea “believed in capitalism”. Both country wanted to control the whole Korea.

N Korea stacked S Korea in 1950, then US helped S Korea and over US troops went over the 38N line, PRC helps N Korea and attacks back. After sometime, those representatives were affected by various reason(fear of NATO, change of president, not enough troops) and a truce was signed in 1953 but the war has not end until now.

6) The Cuban Missile Crisis(1962), between US, Cuba and USSR.

Capitalist representatives: John Kennedy (US president) and communist representatives Nikita Khrushchev(First secretary of USSR), Fidel Castro (Cuba president)

US claimed that Cuba is a communist country. USSR wanted to help Cuba and gave some

nuclear missile without fuel to Cuba and US was afraid of it because Cuba is near to US.

US put troops in Florida, and USSR required US to respect Cuba. After some days, both of them don’t want to fight and USSR agreed to remove missile in Cuba.

7) Vietnam War (1961 - 1975) -- the only event that US “lost”

Just like Korea, it was torn into two part, N and S Vietnam and they also want to unify their countries. At that time, the “capitalist” (in fact, people there believed in communist) government had a problem of serious corruption. People in S Vietnam became anti-government. Ho Chi Minh, the president of N Vietnam, attacked S Vietnam. US helped S Vietnam but it’s useless. N Vietnam attacks Saigon underground or via other countries. At last US people didn’t want to fight and in 1975, US retreated troops. The communist controlled the whole Vietnam.

After the “lost” of USSR in Cuban Missile Crisis and US in Vietnam War, the relation between the two bloc started to ease. In 1963, an emergency communication line(hot line) from Washington to Moscow was set up. Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was set up between Soviet Union, US and Britain. In 1985, M.Gorbachev became the general secretary of USSR and he worked to improve relations with US. He signed treaties to destroy nuclear weapons with President Reagan and bigger Bush. He relaxed control to the satellites reduced armed forces in eastern Europe and refused to intervene the democratic movements in 1989-1991. He was remarkable for the end of Cold War.

As a result, 1989, the communist eastern Europe nations overthrown their communist government. Berlin wall was torn down. In 1990, the two Germany became one. In 1991, communist state under USSR declared their independence and formed Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). This marked the end of cold war.

The impacts of Cold War

1) Cold War is a chance for US and USSR to extend their influence within their bloc and they tried to gain influence over the developing countries.

2) The European nations realized that cooperation is important in 1951. They set up European Economic Community(EEC,1957), European Community (EC,1993) and developed into European Union now.

3) During the Cold War, US and USSR competed in developing nuclear and chemical weapons and created tension in the international relation until the end of Cold War.

4) After the Cold War, nation started to solve problem through communication more than military conflict and improve way of cooperation. For example, in the Persian Gulf, 1990-1991, USSR cooperated with US to force Iraq to remove troops from Kuwait. US called for the end of Cold War during the presidency of George Bush.

Friday, 26 December 2008

Light, reflection and refraction

Sight and light

1) We can an object because the light beams from luminous object or reflected from non-luminous object strike into our eyes, and the messages send to the brain.

2) Luminous object emits light but non-luminous object can’t. Note that those object emit light under some conditions are not a good example of luminous object. For example, “candle” is not a good example of luminous object. “Burning candle” is better.

Properties of light -- there are 4 properties

1) Light is a form of energy. (We can found this through the converting of energy in light bulb.)

2) Light can travel in empty space. (No medium, ether, is necessary.)

3) Light travels in a very high speed, 3*105 kms-1 or 3*108ms-1 (the highest speed available, by the theory of relativity.)

4) Light travels in straight lines. (At least, in a normal condition, e.g. normal gravity field)

Application on shadows Sundial in ancient China and shadow puppet..

Law of reflection

They refer to 2 rules:

AD- incident ray; BD- normal which is a imaginary line perpendicular to the plane mirror, CD; reflected ray Angle ABD is the angle of incident, ai, and the angle of reflection, ar as angle BDC.

1) Incident ray, reflected ray and normal all lies on the same plane.

2) ai,= ar

Regular reflection occurs in smooth surface and the image is clear.

Diffuse reflection occurs in a rough surface and the image is not clear (we can see it in some different direction)

The 4 properties of image that formed by plane mirror is having the same distance to mirror, same size, erect and laterally inverted.

There are various application on plane mirrors, for example, the use of plane mirror in interior design increases the spatial feel, and periscopes.

The refraction

The name and arrangement of light rays are the reflection. FE is the refracted ray, and angle DFE is the angle of refraction, af.

(The relation between ai and af is that refers the refractive index of the 2 material, n1 and n2, we have n1sinai=n2sinaf.)

This explains why if the density of original material is bigger than the new material, refracted ray bent away from the normal while in opposite, it’ll bent towards the normal.

Tuesday, 23 December 2008

More about food and digestion

The natural and processed food

Hong Kong has a lot of ready-to-eat processed food, some of the food additives is being added. Natural food contains no food additives and keep their nutrient. Conversely, the processed food lost most of their nutrients. The 4 major additives are:

1) Preservatives prevent food going bad, example are slat, sugar, vinegar and nitrites.

2) Falvouring gives a better flavour. MSG (monosodium glutamate) is commonly used.

3) Colourings makes food more attractive, some of them are man-made while some are made from natural sources.

4) Sweeteners give food sweetness.

Meanwhile, some food additives may harm our health. Generally the food additives allowed by law are safe for most people, but some may have allergic on certain food substances, for example, some people may have diarrhea, vomiting, abdommal cramps after taking MSG.

In conventional farming, pesticides and chemical fertilizers are added to their crops. If the product isn’t washed through, they’re harmful to our body.

Organic farming avoids the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. They use organic fertilizers (e.g. animal manure), use crop rotation, to avoid pests and diseases and control pests biologically by introducing pest-eater in the field. Food produced by organic farming is called organic food, free from toxic chemicals, and safer to eat.

GM food -- the nuclei of body contains genes, if we change some part which holding a characteristics by some virus, it becomes genetically modified organisms(GMO). The food or ingredients of GMO are GM food, and they’re available in whole or processed food in the market. They’re supposed to be safe to eat, there’s no scientific evidence showing that they aren’t safe. However, people are still worrying these years.GM foods should be labeled.

Health foods are popular in these years. However, we should consider it’s function and effect, and a balanced diet, enough exercise and rest and far more important than eating those food.

Our digestive system

The digestion take place in our digestion system which consist alimentary canal and also some organs that secrete digestive juice.

Alimentary canal -- In order, the major parts are mouth cavity, oesophagus, stomach, small intestines, large intestine, and anus.

Glands including pancreas, liver, gall bladder. There’s also an appendix-- useless in digestion.

In our mouth cavity (which is for chewing/ingestion, tearing the food into smaller pieces), we have 4 kind of teeth, incisors, canines, premolars and molars. Generally an adult has 32 teeth.

Incisors are in chisel-shape and sharp, used for biting and cutting food, canine are pointed and used for tearing food. Premolar and molars are board top(but not flat-topped) and molars are bigger. Used for grinding food.

The inside of teeth divide into several parts, enamel -- white, shiny, hard, non-living substance, protecting our teeth; dentine, under enamel, bone-like living tissue; and pulp cavity which contains nerve (temperture &pain) and blood vessel.

Tooth decay -- the food debris and bacteria in the mouth forma a layer of plaque and it’s sticky and invisible. The bacteria act on sugar in the debris and produce acid, dissolving the enamel and make a hole on the teeth. The acid then destroy dentine, and pulp cavity, finally to the gum and forms a abscess for the most serious case.

Periodontal disease -- There’s a layer periodontal membrane. Toxins from the plaque destroy those membrane and form a periodontal pockets. At Last the teeth become loose and swollen gum appeared, bleeding is also easy to occur.

Food and Diet

Health is defined as physical fitness, mental health and social well-being. We should have appropriate food, enough exercise and rest in order to keep healthy.

The important of food is that energy used for activities and keeping warm, raw materials for growth and repair and substances for maintaining health. Diet is what the person eat and drink each day.

There are two types of nutrients: primary food nutrients and protective food nutrients.

primary food nutrients means that without those nutrients, we will die. They include: carbohydrates, fats, proteins and water.

Carbohydrates = C + H2O

It is use for give out energy through respiration in cells. It’s the main energy source. In our body, they appears all places where any cells are found. We can get carbohydrates from cereal which contains starch. Starch is a large form of carbohydrates. It is not sweet but in the mouth, they will be broken down as maltose which is sweet. That’s why the food will become sweet after some time in the mouth. Maltose will be further broken down as glucose.

Glucose will be used at once or turned into fat or glycogen which is a large chain of glucose for further use. Glycogen is also called animal starch that it’s usually found in animal’s body. They will be stored in liver and muscles.

Fats is the energy reserves and it will only be used when carbohydrates is not enough. Fat gives double of carbohydrate’s energy supplies. It’s also use for transportation because some nutrients are only fat soluble and fat is used to transfer them. It’s also used for keeping our body warm. Fat also act as a solvent of nutrients which only fat soluble but not water soluble.

Protein helps body to growth and repair. It’s also known as amino acid. There are 20 types of amino acid where 8 of them can be produced in our body. The left 12 types are called essential amino acid. Children needs a lot of protein because they grow rapidly. The deficiency disease is kwashiorkor. They will have swollen abdomens, weak muscles and poor mental development. Excess protein will be put into urine which passed out and fat stored.

Water make up 70% of our body. It the most important component of diet that we can live even a week without water. Although it has no energy value, it has some important use.

1) Water act as medium of chemical reaction in our body;

2) Act as solvent of waste(urine) for us to take them out the body;

3) It’s use for transporting substances in the body, and

4) Helps regulating body temperature through sweating

We lost water through many ways such as passing out urine, sweat and breathe out so we have to drink lots of water per day (6-8 glasses)

We only need a small amount of protective food nutrients which includes vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre.

Vitamins

1) Vitamin A -- Come from carrot, fish liver oil, fresh green veg.. It helps maintaining good vision because it helps forming pigment in the rod cells in our eyes. The deficiency disease is night blindness.

2) Vitamin C which also known as ascorbic acid. It is good for healthy gums, skin and teeth, helps healing wounds and resist diseases. The deficiency disease is scurvy -- bleeding easily occurs (usually in gums)

3) Vitamin D comes from diary products and fish liver oil, and our skin under sunlight.

Minerals help us in different purposes. We mainly focus on Iron, calcium and iodine here.

1) Iron come from meat, yeast and green veg.. It’s used for making haemoglobin which is a pigment responsible for taking oxygen in the red blood cells. It’s deficiency disease is anaemia which no. of red blood cell is lower than normal, easily faint.

2) Calcium comes from milk, cheese and green veg.. It helps building up strong bones and teeth so that it’s deficiency disease is rickets which the bone become soft and bent.

3) Iodine comes from the product from sea(sea fish, seaweed, etc.), it help regulate body growth. It’s deficiency disease is simple goitre.

Dietary fibre come from the roughage that there’s plant cell wall which called cellulose, and it cen’t be digested. It make the the muscles in intestinal wall to contract to make peristalsis and push the food forward. It prevent the food becomes bad inside our body and form constipation, piles and even colon cancer.

We have various test to test the presence of nutrients.

1) Starch -- Iodine solution (Yellow brown → Blue black)

2) Glucose -- Clinistix paper, originally test for diabetes pink → purple

3) Protein -- Albustix paper, originally test for function of liver, yellow to green.

4) Fat -- Leave a translucent spot on a filter paper (spot test)

We must have a balanced diet for those 7 food substances in right amount and proportions and refer to the food pyramid, and eat less of that in the higher level.

We can measure the energy value by kilojoules (kJ) or kilocalories (kcal). Carbohydrates, fat and proteins have energy value of 17.1 38.9 and 18.2 kJ/g.

People’s daily need of energy vary with sex, age, body size, occupation and physical activity.

Over-eating(intake>need) will cause overweight, the more serious one is called obesity, they will have high blood pressure, and high risk of heart disease.

Under-eating will cause malnutriention, thin, and various deficiency disease will occur. The more serious problem is the anorexia which is a mental health, which don’t want to eat, always thinks that they’re too fat.

The food pyramid has the top of fat, salts and sweets, then diary product, vegetable and fruit,, grain and cereals at the bottom.

Monday, 22 December 2008

The rainforest

Rainforests are dense vegetation covers in the hot and wet regions. There are certain characteristics of being a rainforests:

1) Many species -- over half of world’s species.

2) Layered structure

3) Equatorial climate, the temperature is high (25C or above), small temperature range (1~5C), averagely and large rainfall (2000mm) which means no dry season. Because of this reason, rainforest is found along the equator and within the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. The 3 biggest rainforest in the world is Amazon Basin in Brazil (1/3 of rainforest in the world), Congo Basin in Africa, and in Malaysia.

It’s hot and wet climate favours the continuous growth of plants all year (evergreen) and various species of trees, insects and birds there. However, the rainforests are disappearing which called deforestation due to some reason.

1) Commercial logging -- Some tree are valuable to be logged. Those timber can be used for furniture and construction which have a large demand of wood. Modern machines used now increase the rate of deforestation.

2) Shifting cultivation -- the natives cut down the trees and burn to clear the area for farming which is called slash-and-burn cultivation. During their farming, they won’t irrigation and add fertilizer. Then after some time the fertility dropped. They will abandon the land and find a new plot. The abandoned land will be used after some time. The period is not enough for it to restore and allows trees to grow again.

3) Cattle ranching -- The land are also suitable for cattle ranching. Some American companies open extensive rainforest area as grassland for beef cattle.

4) Plantation agriculture -- The climate in rainforest are also favourable for planting cash crop which the product is valuable.

5) Population pressure -- the society development keeps on. This will increase the demand on land, transportation. Also, the government is in pressure for making economic growth. One of their way is to develop in rainforest. Thus some land is cleared for other uses.

The deforestation affect serious to the local people, livings and us.

1) Deforestation increase the daily range of temperature, wind speed, decrease the humidity in the air and increase the rate of soil erosion.

2) The native people relies on the resources from the rainforests such as food and home. Deforestation will destroy their home, they have to migrate to other places and their culture destroyed.

3) Deforestation destroys the habitats and led to extinction on animals.

4) Leaves stops rainwater fall into the ground directly while the root bind the soil together and absorb water. Without them, soil and nutrients washed away to the river and forms alluvium. Then silting and flooding may occur.

5) Deforestation also decrease the rate of photosynthesis which takes in CO2 and output O2. CO2 is a kind of greenhouse gas that will reflects heat going out the atmosphere. This will amplifies the greenhouse effect and enhance the effect of global warming. Furthermore, flooding(the ice melts and rise of sea level), droughts in inland area(high evaporating rate) and extinction of wildlife occur more frequently.

6) It’ll also cause the loss of timber resources and valuable medicine.

It’s hard to solve the problem because different people have different aim and view.

1) The government have to monitor plans for rainforest development and solve the conflicts.

2) Land developers, logging and mining companies only aim at profits, although they can provide jobs and funds, they show a little concern for the environment only.

3) The native people rely on the rainforest a lot so they totally oppose deforestation.

4) Those environmentalists mostly concerning about the rainforest environment so they press the development projects. Friends of the Earth and the World Wide Fund for Nature help building up natural reserves in the rainforests.

To solve this problem , sustainable development is needed.

1) Afforestation project can be used for those area seriously affected by deforestation. Tree will be replanted for an extensive piece of area.

2) Selective logging is encouraged. The companies have to obtain a license before they exploit the timber in the rainforest and some tree can’t be cut.

3) Native people are encouraged to plant cover crops on abandoned land. Cover crop can protect the soil from heavy rain and help recovering the fertility of soil.

4) Eco-tourism is a kind of tourism that to respect and protect the nature and ecosystem. Some area is designed as protected areas, set up national parks or natural reserves in the rainforests where deforestation is not allowed there.

We can also do something for the rainforest such as don’t but product made from endangered species, better use the rainforest products, support eco-tourisms and environmental organizations such as World Wide Fund of Nature, Green Power and the Friends of the Earth.

The periodic table and metals on Earth

*Note that the table about group I, II and VII will not appear here. Please check the doc. . It is avaiable now in the Chemistry, "introductino to metals..." one.*

Thanks.

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1) Atomic no.(Z) = no. of protons while Mass no.(A) = no. of protons+ neutrons. In some other ways of expression, Mass no. = no. of electrons+ neutrons, no. of neutrons = Mass no.- Atomic no. The notation: AZX.

2) Isotopes -- same elements with different no. of neutrons. In another way, they have the same atomic no. but different mass no. For example the 3 isotopes of hydrogen, 1H(Protium), 2h (Deuterium) and 3H (Tritium) have 0,1 and 2 neutron(s) and 1 proton.

3) Relative abundance of isotope = % of existence of isotope in nature.

4) Those isotopes have similar chemical properties(same elements) but different physical properties (different mass).

5) Relative mass of 12C (by definition), = 12 while relative mass (roughly) = mass no. It’s also called relative isotopic mass.

6) Relative atomic mass = SUM of (isotopic mass of isotopes*relative abundance) and it’s the weighted average of isotopic mass of its natural isotopes on 12C scale.

7) The electrons fill the shells from the innermost shell. Nth shell can mostly hold 2n2 electrons. Unless one shell has been full, the electrons will keep filling in except potassium and calcium has only 8 electrons on the 3rd shell.

8) Electronic configuration -- (x1,x2,x3,x4…) represent xn electrons on the nth shell.

9) In the periodic table, Group no. = no. of electrons of the outermost shell and period no. = no. of occupied electron shells. There are 8 group (I, II…. VII and group 0) while the other elements which don’t belong to any group is called the transition metals.

10) Group 0/8 -- noble(inert) gases, fully filled outermost shell(octet structure)-- unreactive. The Octet rule-- elements with 8 outermost electrons is stable.

11) Group VII reacts with most metals to form salt so it’s also called salt-formers.

The metals in Earth’s crust and ore mining

1) 24% of Earth’s crust are metals(by mass). The most abundant metal is Al while the most abundant elements are O(48%) and Si(28%).

2) The metals found in natural are usually metal ores in form of compounds. There are 3 common types of compound -- Metal oxide (M+O), sulphide (M+S) and carbonate (M+C+O). They can be extracted with carbon reduction.

3) Carbon reduction -- Metal oxide+ C →(heat)→ Metal + CO2. This is useful for PbO and CuO but useless for FeO unless the heating is hot enough (>1300C)

4) Gold and silver can be found in elements because it’s unreactive. The other metal ores include Haemetite --iron oxides; Bauxite -- Aluminium oxides; Galena -- Lead sulphides, Chalcopyrite -- Copper sulphides and iron sulphides and calcite for calcium carbonate.

5) There was ore mining industry in Hong Kong in the past. For example, galena in Tai Mo Shan and Haemetite in Ma On Shan. However, the ores weren’t pure enough (and, Hong Kong aren’t suitable for ore mining industry, from past to now). Thus they were closed now.

6) China is one of the most important source of ore mining. Quarter of the iron is being output from China.

7) There are two method for extracting the metals. The first one is physical method -- crush the rocks (with pure metal mixed with other matter) to small pieces and wash away the rocks. Gold is one of the metal that can be extracted by this gold panning method. The chemical method is carbon reduction.

8) Chemical change means there’s new matter forms while physical change will not produce anything new. Note that change of state is physical change.

Thursday, 11 December 2008

The power problem in China

1) Coal and oil are main energy sources of China but the they’re not evenly distributed.

2) Coal -- N, NE, NW part of China, Oil -- NE and NW part of China.

3) Industry consumes most energy in China but those industrial zone aren’t matched with the coalfield and oilfield → energy shortage in some industrial zone of Chine (South China).

4) The total power consumption is increasing faster than total power production because of the rapid improvement of industrial industry, living standard and quality.

5) Coal and oil are non-renewable resources and reserves are decreasing by exploitation.

6) There are three problem by burning Coal and oil.

Air pollution -- SO2, CO2, NO and ash. They reduce visibility and rise health risk.

Acid rain -- Burning poor quality of coal(↑S) may emit SO2 and NO which cause acid rain.

7) Global warming -- Burning those fuels may emit lots of CO2 which is a type of greenhouse gas and the rising concentration of CO2 enhance the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere and led to global warming.

8) West-East gas transmission project pipes gas from Tarim Pendi(Xinjiang) to Shanghai and lower course in Chang Jiang.

9) We can also set up new industrial zone to match those distribution but we need to consider the power, labour supply, transportation, market and raw material supply, etc.

Monday, 8 December 2008

The Second World War

The Second World War - “Great War”

Causes

1) Treaty of Versailles pleased no one──Harsh terms on Germany and fail for territorial gains of Italy(Italy fought for Britain and France for that promise) .

2) Great Depression──The economic environment that time was that USA sell good to Europe and lends money to Germany; Germany use it to return money that on the Treaty of Versailles back to Europe. Crash of Wall Street stock market causes the downturn of USA’s economy which came with an domino effect and cause global depression (1929-1933). Base on the downturn of countries, they have no time to look after other’s action and helps the rise of totalitarianism in Germany and Italy.

3) Totalitarianism is that a dictator or political party rules the state with absolute power.

Fascism(Italy) ── Postwar Italy had ↑unemployment rate, inflation and taxation. The government is unable to improve life so people looks for a new leader ── Benito Mussolini in Fascist Party (1921). On the next year he got power and call himself Il Duce(the leader). He was unable to improve effectively so that he decided to fight.

Nazism in Germany ──The case of Germany was similar to Italy but he was successful to improve the economy by develop infrastructure. Through the book “Mein Kampf”, he was the hope of Germans and he got power in 1933. On the next year he became the führer/ fuehrer (The leader). He also want to revenge. Those expansionist policies led to outbreak of WWII.

4) Aggression of the Axis Powers

Japan──Korea, NE and coastal China, SE Asia,

Italy──Abyssinia and Ethiopia

Germany──Rhineland, NE Europe and Eastern Russia.

5) Appeasement policy of Britain and France means that to give the demands of Axis powers preventing war→Axis power become stronger, stopped in 1939.

Anti-Jewish policy

Nazis believed in racial theory which Jewish are only ‘subhuman’.

Nuremberg Laws passed in 1935 - boycott Jewish shop and no marriage between Germans and Jews. Crystal night in 1938 broke down all glass of Jewish shop. 1942, “final solution to Jewish problem” ── concentration camps/death camps(such as Auschwitz). They were put in poison gas room.

6 million Jews were killed ── the genocide of the Jews.──Nuremburg trial.

How the war was fought

Germany invaded Poland marked the start, 1939.

Attack Pearl Harbor , Hawaii which is naval base of USA. USA declare war on Germany then, 1941-1942. Italy surrendered, 1943. 6th June 1944, invaded Normandy. May 1945, Germany surrendered. Two atomic bomb on Japan (Hiroshima and Nagasaki), 2nd Sept, 1945, Japan Surrendered.

Impact

1) Casualties ── 55 millions people killed + 6 million Jews from genocide. Cities & towns destroyed → hard lifetime postwar and huge economic losses.

2) The use of atomic bomb marked the beginning of age of nuclear weapons.

3) End of League of Nations and the start of United Nations.

4) European empires(such as Britain and France) were heavily damaged → the fall of Europeans supremacy and US, USSR rose as superpowers.

5) As the empires fell, decolonization in Asia and Africa started in 1960s.

6) After WWII, US and USSR lost the common enemy (Germany) and gradually they became 2 bloc (capitalist & communist) → start of cold war.

Sunday, 7 December 2008

人流規律?

發現人流真係有規律ge
1)考試時人流特高
2)Long passage 特高
3)暑假低
4)普通school day 低
唔通我個blog 真係冇乜fd會睇?!?
灰……

Saturday, 6 December 2008

The causes of Second World War

1) Treaty of Versailles pleased no one──Harsh terms on Germany and fail for territorial gains of Italy(Italy fought for Britain and France for that promise) .

2) Great Depression──The economic environment that time was that USA sell good to Europe and lends money to Germany; Germany use it to return money that on the Treaty of Versailles back to Europe. Crash of Wall Street stock market causes the downturn of USA’s economy which came with an domino effect and cause global depression (1929-1933). Base on the downturn of countries, they have no time to look after other’s action and helps the rise of totalitarianism in Germany and Italy.

3) Totalitarianism is that a dictator or political party rules the state with absolute power.

Fascism(Italy) ── Postwar Italy had ↑unemployment rate, inflation and taxation. The government is unable to improve life so people looks for a new leader ── Benito Mussolini in Fascist Party (1921). On the next year he got power and call himself Il Duce(the leader). He was unable to improve effectively so that he decided to fight.

Nazism in Germany ──The case of Germany was similar to Italy but he was successful to improve the economy by develop infrastructure. Through the book “Mein Kampf”, he was the hope of Germans and he got power in 1933. On the next year he became the führer/ fuehrer (The leader). He also want to revenge. Those expansionist policy led to outbreak of WWII.

4) Aggression of the Axis Powers

Japan──Korea, NE and coastal China, SE Asia,

Italy──Abyssinia and Ethiopia

Germany──Rhineland, NE Europe and Eastern Russia.

5) Appeasement policy of Britain and France means that to give the demands of Axis powers preventing war→Axis power become stronger, stopped in 1939.

Thursday, 4 December 2008

4-12.2008...?

動筆啦…… 竟然連楔子都2000字! 要加油呀~ 不過俾人串話成日爛尾……其實對於一個beginner好正常…… 諗下其實Carol都係。(笑) 參考左好多唔同sector ge書 Improbable ge賭局同principle 天使街的活潑 陣地書系的詭計 小說村2位人兄的結構 Seba的毒嘴(麒:笑) 仲有facebook俾左我practice Texas hold'em的平台=] 真係唔易玩…… *struggle* 持A Q 外面係 A 8 5 J 2 上手落720,我有50,All in? Well... 呢D唔好提啦 好難玩 F.3的Probability明顯地唔夠皮apply on my calculation expected value 比較好用 ---------------------------------------------- World War beta會? 佢2.5%/ half hour, D人一日賺3倍,屈機 ---------------------------------------------- 15-12-2008 不宜考試! 唔好考啦 \(_ _)/ 中英數都... ----------------------------------------------

Thursday, 27 November 2008

譚貢之戰~

Causes 1)貢丸教得悶 2)譚智安未做完功課 Place: 3B classroom Outbreak 貢丸多次叫佢收埋,佢只係收左本maths書,講左聲吾好意思,但本簿仲擺係度。 How the war was fought? 貢丸下稱貢,譚同學下稱譚: 貢:你將本簿拎出黎拉,我要收左佢。 譚:.............你等陣(係櫃桶搵份學生會報訊黎敷衍貢丸`) 貢:吾係呢份..........呢位同學你囉本簿出黎做咩? 譚:(笑)我練字囉~ 貢:我要收左你本簿! 譚:我用本簿墊住張紙寫野姐 貢:你點解墊住張紙要打開本簿? 譚:張紙太大,要打開本簿。 貢:果張紙實係用黎遮住本簿。 譚:我真係墊野架! 貢:總之呢位同學你吾好講甘多,被本簿我! 譚:你知吾知我叫咩名?= =' 貢:你叫咩名根本同件事冇關(尷尬)(忘記了吧?算拉我地都慣~) 譚:你吾知我叫咩名又點知我咩性格呀? 貢:(火起~搶簿)你點解吾比我! 譚:(捉住本簿吾放)我點解要比你? (兩人各扯住簿的兩端,死都吾放!) 貢:你整親我只手,我可以告你! 譚:你都整親我只手,仲有我本簿~ 貢:你本咩簿? 譚:一本對我好重要既簿! 貢:(火滾~將簿搶走後轉身走,返去之後掀開sitting plan認真甘睇佢個名-v-)放學後黎見我! 譚:(小聲)tiu,癡線~ Impacts 1)Heavy casualties and sereve destructions-本簿差D爛左,雙方隻手似乎傷左 2)貢丸聲望插水

Tuesday, 25 November 2008

The first World War

Causes

1) After the industrial revolution, the European countries needs more raw materials and larger market → conflicts on territorial expansion

2) On Late 19th century onwards they start arm themselves → arms race, naval race between Germany and Britain on dreadnoughts which were the best battleships that time.

3) Extreme Nationalism (EN)- protect/support the (other) country with the same type of people . Germany - Austria-Hungary - Pan-Germanism and Russia - Serbia - Pan-Slavism.

4) Alliance system (AS)- France was defeated in Franco-Prussian War in 1870 to Germany and loss Alsace and Lorraine (industrial area), they hate Germany. Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy formed Triple Alliance on 1882 and France, Britain and Russia afraid them and formed Triple Enterte 25 years later (1907). They have been divided into 2 rivals.

Outbreak

28th June 1914, Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and his wife was assassinated by a Serb when they visited Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina which are land of Austria-Hungary but Serb as a main population there. Russia support Serbia (EN) while Germany (EN) and France(AS) support Austria-Hungary and they joined the war.

3rd Aug. 1914, Germany attacks France, they walks through Belgium so that Britain declare war on Germany (protect Belgium).

Feb. 1917, Germany start to attack all merchants ship towards Britain and USA suffers lost. USA declare war on Germany then.

1918, Germany attacks Paris again but lost, the military attacks Germany and she surrendered on Nov. 1918 in Paris called the Paris Peace Conference, Germany is forced to sign Treaty of Versailles. This made her felt humiliates and wanted revenge → cause of WWII.

Results

Treaty of Versailles

1) Germany is solely responsible for the war.

2) Lose all colonies.

3) Banned military(less then 100000 solders), no up-to-date weapons and can’t produce armaments.

4) Pay the cost of war.

European empire collapses and new nations - Russia → U.S.S.R.(Soviet Union, Communist); Germany and Turkey becomes republics, Austria-Hungary becomes two country (Austria & Hungary). New country formed - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia.

Develop new weapons -tank, canon, submarines, air ship and poison gas.

Heavy casualties and sereve destructions - 8 million solders killed.

Rising state of Women-more independent, earn their own salaries and in charge of the household finances.

Formations of League of Nations in Geneva in 1920 to settle international disputes in the future and to prevent outbreak of another world war.

Sunday, 23 November 2008

F.3 I.S. Chemistry - Introduction to Metals and atomic structure

Chemistry – Metals and basic atomic structure

1) Metals are a categories of common used materials.

2) There’re 9 common properties of metals: Shiny, good conductors of electricity and heat, malleability(pressed into sheets), ductility(pulled into wires), strong(hard), high melting point and boiling point and high density.

3) There are exceptions for those properties, e.g. graphite(a form of carbon) is hard, shiny, good conductors electricity and high melting point; sodium is soft, low-melting and light.

4) Choosing the suitable metals usually refers to the strength, electrical conductivity, resistance to corrode in are, appearance and cost. For example, Gold is used for making jewellery because it’s high cost, shiny surface and resists corrosion. Treated aluminium is used for making window frames because aluminium oxide resists corrosion.

5) The history of usage on metals- Copper age (5k-3.5kBC), Bronze (mixture of copper and tin) age (3.5-1.5kBC) and Iron age (using iron and steel and sometimes other materials; shape-memory alloys and use of superconductivity; 1.5kBC afterwards)

6) Elements are thing that can’t be split up into anything simpler, e.g. carbon. They can be further classified into metals and non-metals (and metalloid).

7) Compound contains two or more compound through chemical reaction, e.g., burns carbon forms carbon dioxide. They may have independent properties from the original elements, e.g., H and O are flammable but H2O is water.

8) Mixture contains two or more elements or compounds, they are only mixed.

9) There’re 109 elements up to now which 92 is found in nature and the others were made by scientists. There’re 11 gases, 2 liquid(bromine and mercury) and the others are solids in room temperature and pressure. The 11 gases are H, N, O, F, Cl and 6 noble gases.

10) Comparing the metals and non-metals, the metals are usually silvery white (except gold and copper) and non-metals are usually dull and variously coloured. Sonorous-a sound produced when you hit it) for metals and other metals properties.

11) Metalloids have some properties from metals and non-metals and they are commonly used in industry. For example, silicon is a semi-conductor in transistors and silicon chips.

12) Atom is the basic constituent particle of an elements and the smallest, basic particle of an elements with diameters about 10-8cm and masses of 10-23g. An elements of substances is only made up of one kind of atoms.

13) The chemical symbols for elements are also the atomic symbols for their atoms. For example, C represents element carbon or carbon atom.

14) Atoms are made up of three fundamental particles as protons(1+), neutrons(0) and electrons(1-) as known as sub-atomic particles. In the centre of atoms is a tiny and dense region as nucleus where proton and neutron is and they stick tightly together with the about same mass.

15) In a normal atom there should be no charge because no. of protons = no. of electrons. Protons and neutrons have relative mass of 1; proton and electron have relative charge of +1 and -1.

16) Electrons occupied most place outside of nucleus and inside the atom.

Tuesday, 18 November 2008

無題 XD

填海填到密,皇后冇碼頭。 墮入稅網中,一交三十年。 阿扁去貪污,淑珍坐輪椅。 開荒南丫島,守拙歸屯門。 豪宅十餘幢,工人八九個。 立法會冇用,政府係無能。 長長回歸日,遠遠普選路。 狗吠共產黨,雞鳴唔做事。 屋企無塵雜,打機有余閑。 久在香港裡,復得返自然。

Unit 3-4 - "introduction to Hong Kong industries and economy"

The role of government in Hong Kong’s economy

1) Previous capitalist system and way of life for 50 years; protect private property rights and previous economic policies including free trade policy, freedom of capital movement, low tax policy and free port policy.

1) Clear vision of direction of economic development.

1) Minimize the intervention of government to the market.

2) Business-friendly environment-principle of equality before law, respects the independent of the judiciary, salary tax and corporate profits tax lowest among the world→labour works and attracts foreign investment.

3) Provide infrastructure for market to run more efficiency

Transport - good transportation, e.g., Highway and road

Industrial sector for developing hi-tech industry, e.g. Cyberport and Science Park.

Commercial sector-platform to sell, e.g. Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC)

Tourism - attracts more tourism, e.g., Hong Kong Disneyland

4) The government also encourage private enterprise to provide some infrastructure (to lower the expenditure of gov. in order to hold low tax) , e.g., electricity, gas, LPG (energy sector), construction and separation of container termination (transport), telecommunication services.

5) Education and training forms knowledge-based economy-pro-knowledge, tech. and skills needed to rise productivity.

12 years free and universal education for child for school-going age; expand higher education for pro-workers; vocational training for skilled workers; retraining courses to upgrade workers’ skill; assist and encourage containing education with educating fund; Import foreign talents to rise Hong Kong’s competitive power

6) Supporting Authority - Hong Kong Monetary Authority keeps HKD stable (by linking with USD through foreign exchange fund) and supervise operation of banking industry.

7) The Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong(SFC) monitor operation of stock exchange market/financial investment and commodity exchange market.

8) Office of Telecommunications Authority monitor telecommunications services, encourage competition and protect consumer interests.

The problems of Hong Kong industries(manufacturing) : It’s belonging to secondary production and it is declining after the Civil war. There’s 3 internal reason and 3 external reason.

Internal:

I) The high production cost. It including all the cost that during the production, mainly is rent and wages. The high land prices and salary rises the production cost and rises the selling prices. That causes the lower competition power comparing to countries which have lower production cost.

II) Low technology sector would also lower the competitive power. This may lower the quality and some technology industry. Although the government is developing technology sector, this is only a long term training. Hong Kong is lack of talents, resources and experience.

III) Lack of land is also a problem. Basing on the lacking of land, we can’t develop heavy industries(occupies large land and capital). We even can’t do reclamations because of the environmental protection.

External:

I) There are lots of foreign competitors. Taiwan, Singapore and S. Korea has higher technology and mainland, Malaysia maintains lower production cost.

II) In other countries, by protecting their local industries, tariffs (import tax) and import quota is set by other countries. Hong Kong even can’t take revenge because Hong Kong is lack of different kind of resources. Taking those measures may only suffer ourselves.

III) Countries which have partner relationship to Hong Kong is not too much. So that Hong Kong’s industries is easily affected by outside’s economic situation.

Solution I) Move production process to mainland→reduce production cost.

II) Diversify products and markets →reduce reliance on European and US market, explore new market such as Russia.

III) Improve investing environment-provide cheap land and low-interest loans to manufacturers→reduce effect from trade restriction.

IV) Develop and support high-tech industries as Ch.3.

V) Establish institutions for industrial development- Trade and Industry Department: 1)Handle trade policies, agreements and international trade relation. 2)provide services for manufacturing industries and S/M enterprises. HK science and Tech. Parks Corporation-1)cultivate new tech. companies by giving training program 2)provide land/facilities for manu. and high-tech. industries. Hong Kong Productivity Council-helping with value- added product by providing pro. services. Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation: export insurance for local exporters against non-payment risk due to commercial and political event.

Hong Kong Trade and development Council-Conduct trading connection through the world and hold exhibition and publications to promote local products.

Unit 1-2 - "introduction to Hong Kong industries and economy"

The structure in Hong Kong economy

Economy includes the production firms(supply), exchange(trade; buy and sell) and consumption.

There are three types of production: primary production, secondary production and tertiary production.

1) Primary production means that the production that getting resources from nature and output raw materials. For example, mining is getting coal or metals from nature.

2) Secondary production changes from raw material(s) to finished product or semi-finished product. Semi-finished product will further be in more process under tertiary production. For example, the production of paper from wood is a kind of secondary production.

3) Tertiary production is the process from semi-finished product to finished product. For example, teaching by using book, etc. is a kind of tertiary production.

4) The rising of production cost (rental cost, salary and prices of raw materials, etc.) leading to the declining of secondary production and not enough natural resources for primary production so that tertiary production is important in Hong Kong. People worked in secondary production are changing to tertiary production. Primary production requires hard work but unstable income. They are willing to sell their land and uses the money to change the living style.

5) Inter-relationship between the three types of production: Tertiary production provides services to both primary and secondary production; secondary production provides tool (fertilizer and machine) to primary production and semi-finished product to tertiary production; primary production provides raw material to both secondary (wheat) and tertiary production (oil).

The main feature of Hong Kong economy

The main features are private property rights and free market economic system.

1) Private property rights refer to the right to use, right to transfer (sell) and right to derive income.

2) The advantage of those rights is that people will best use their resources to earn money, thus stimulate people’s incentive to work and business people’s incentive to invest and promote economic development.

3) In order to maintain those rights, the government set laws to protect them and the government even can’t confiscate people’s property at will, compensation is needed. if the confiscation is legal according to the law.

4) The free market economic system refers to the price mechanism-people take part in buying and selling based on private property rights.

5) They can freely negotiate prices.

6) The system was set by market but not the government and it’s based on the well define of private property rights.

7) Prices and quantities of a commodity adjust automatically according to the market supply and demand.8) Hong Kong is one of the freest economies in the world and people can freely engage in buying, selling, investment as well as choosing their jobs.

Saturday, 15 November 2008

MSN踩地雷(3)

結果:25:18(腰斬) 戰略:消極;雙方沒用炸彈 遊戲成分(共100分):運氣60;技巧28;策略10;大意2 開局(紅色大框範圍):一個正常的開局,我方先手開藍色格,對手開斜角的一著頗有風險,幸好範圍不夠大,到開到綠色3和附近的大數字後進入中盤。 插曲.不尋常的分佈(藍色大框):對手開到5,揭到後呈S形向上開。我方開到藍色5,對方一口氣取下4個後撞中了一堆地雷,值得一提的是,他的原意是沿地雷線開,避免對於開啟大量地雷後的一般機率急降時開到空格。後來我方開了綠色空格,對方開到了紫色5,我方毫無困難取下了5粒(7粒中下方2粒很早開到)。 中盤(紫色大框):一如對手所料,不尋常分佈後會出現大量空格,在被動性策略正常發揮下擴大了少許優勢,以13:23進入了終局。 我方開到了一大片空格,對方雖然取得5粒已沒法追回,如圖所支的最後2步用的是消減法,即沿地雷線將特定範圍的可能拔去,屬消極的打法。雖然在開一大片空格後一般機率比初始值還高,但要提防密集分佈是的比數轉變,因此消減法是正確的做法。 在邊局中雙方可說是運氣主宰,在終局之前實在沒有太多的技巧運用,甚至炸了左上角已經有可怕的11個了。

Friday, 14 November 2008

More on MSN踩地雷

4)斜角地雷 例七: 口X 1 A口口 口1 1--1-2口 A位不應開,因為如果A右上有地雷,會白送對手一個地雷,正解是直接開A右上。 例八:(右邊界) 1--2 2 2 X X 3 X A X口口 不應開A位,因為如果A=4,A下方地雷白送對手,正解是直接開A下。 5)重疊機率的混淆 例九: 口2 B 1 A 2 A和B的機會相若,因為用機率相乘估算,A機會為1-(6/7*2/3*5/7)=29/49;B機會為1-(2/3*5/7)=11/21,但1附近地雷會影響機率,正確機會為:1-(1/7*3/4*3/5+1/7*4/5*1/2+1/7*3/4*4/5+4/7*1/2*3/5)=78/140,相差不到2% 例十: 口2 A口 1 B 3口 口口口口 不要以為B附近多數字機會較高,A的機會為1,B的機會是1-(1/2*2/3*3/4) =3/4。正解是先點A後點B。 6)Endplay的處理 往往終局(任何一方到20分)處理是很重要的。首先評估無提示機率(剩下未知空格/地雷數),決定採取消極(開已知沒有;被動性;斜角地雷;落後時或稀少時適合)、中性(博亂中;亂開;領先/多地雷時用)或是進取(被動性;炸彈;拋磚引玉)的策略。 炸彈在終局時有個重要的作用是對於必取分數的處理。例如比數為23:25時,在稠密區域投彈可以反勝,又或者在1/2機會直接拿下,讓對手構成心理壓力。 被動性的流程是對手開數字→拿地雷→消極點法,好處是對消極/穩守對手進行消耗戰,但失去了博中的機會,而且要留意奇偶性及可能格數,因此這個戰略對稍為積極的對手沒作用,而且斜角地雷是唯一對手的漏洞,如果對方留意到這點,消耗戰就要靠奇偶性/3餘數來決定了。這些會在以後再詳述。

Monday, 10 November 2008

Calculator program that will be useful in Mathematics lesson

Factorization (100 bytes)

Factorizing $Ax^2+Bx+C$ and find it’s solution.

Mem clear: ?→A: ?→B: ?→C: B² - 4AC→C:
. 5( A-1(√C - B→X◢ . 5( A-1(- √C - B→Y◢
Lbl 0: 1M+: XM: Fix 0: Rnd: Norm 1:
XM - Ans => Goto 0: A÷M→A: MM-◢ - XAns◢
 Y→X: D=0→D => Goto 0: A

e.g. factorize $2x^2+8x+6$.

Select program

2 EXE 8 EXE 6 EXE (show -1, 1st root) EXE (show -3 3rd root) EXE (show 1, coeff. of x in the first factor) EXE (show 1, constant term), EXE (1) EXE (3) EXE 2 (constant factor)

So that $2x^2+8x+6 = 2(x+1)(x+3)$

Simplification of square roots (47 bytes)

MM-: ?→A: ?→C: AC→A: Sci 5: Lbl 0: 1M+:
√AM-1→ B: Rnd: B - Ans => Goto 0: Norm 1: B┘C◢ M

e.g. simplify $\sqrt{8/27}$

select program, input, 8, 27, show 2/9 and 6 so that $\sqrt{8/27}=\frac{2}{9}\sqrt{6}$

e.g.2, sqrt(18), input 18, 1 show 3 and 2. $\sqrt{18}=3\sqrt{2}$.

e.g.3 sqrt(0.75), input 0.75, 1 show 0.5 and 3, $\sqrt{0.75}=0.5\sqrt{3}$

Another program for simplification of square root (64 bytes)

?→A: ?→D: AD→A: 1: Fix 0: Lbl 0: Rnd:
√A Ans-1 - . 5: Rnd: Ans→B:  A ÷ B2→C:
Rnd: C - Ans => C + . 5 => Goto 0: Norm 1: B┘D◢ C

It is much faster when the sqrt no. is very big.

Simplification of nth roots (77 bytes)

?→D: ?→A: ?→X: AX^(D - 1)→A: 1: Fix 0: Lbl 0:
Rnd: D x√ ( A ÷Ans ) - . 5: Rnd: Ans→B: A ÷ B^D→C:
Rnd: C - Ans => C + . 5 => Goto 0: Norm 1: B┘X◢ C

Input nth root, and the fraction, output (no. outside) and (no. inside the root)

Decimal to square root

Mem clear: Ans→D: Ans2→A: Ans→B: 1→C: Fix 0:
Lbl 0: A: Rnd: Ans→X: A - X => Ans-1→A: YX + C→X:
Y→C: X→Y: BY: Sci 9: Rnd: Ans→X: Fix 0: Rnd:
X - Ans => Goto 0: XY →X: 1: Lbl 1: Rnd:
√X Ans-1 - . 5: Rnd: Ans→M:  X ÷ M2→C:
Rnd: C - Ans => C + . 5 => Goto 1: Norm 1:
M┘(D√Y2 ÷ √D2◢ C

First input Ans then press program

e.g. tan30.

Press tan30 EXE P1, show 1/3, 3. $\tan 30 = \frac{1}{3}\sqrt{3}$

Recurring decimal to fraction (29 bytes)

?→A: ?→B: ?→C: ?→M: B┘(10xA - 1M+: M┘10xC

Input (no. of place of non- recurring part), (value of non- recurring part), (no. of place of recurring part) and (value of recurring part).

e.g. 0.23333…, input 1, 2, 1, 3 get 7/30.

No. base (2-16) to decimal system (BASE)

Mem clear: Hex: ?→D: ?→A: 10→B: 1→Y:
D => A→B => 10→A => Dec: ?→C: Lbl 0: Dec:
C÷B→X: Y(C - BX M+:  AY→Y: X→C => Goto 0:
D => Hex: M

e.g. 15 under base 7 to decimal, input 0 (means that (2-16) to decimal), 7, 15, get 12.

e.g. 29 under decimal to base 15, input 1 (means that decimal to (2-16)), 15, 29, get 1E.

MSN踩地雷(1)

最近玩MSN踩地雷好易輸,發現幾點拎出來討論。 1)非地雷的數字忽略 例一: 1口1口口口 口X口A1口 1口1口1 X A為空格。空格往往會開出大片提示,8.9分足以扭轉形勢。 例二: 口x口 A 3口 x 5 x x x口 x口x 4 2口 A是「3」。大量的地雷很容易搞錯。 2)誤用炸彈 例三:(左上角) 口口口口口口 口1口5 X口 炸此處極不明智,因為在「5」為中心附近放炸彈有很大機會開到大片空格。 例四:(左上角) 口口口口口口 口5 X口2口 炸X下方是適合的,因為保證了6個地雷且開到空格的機會頗低。 例五:(落後7:13) 口口口 1 A口口 口3口口B 6口 口口口口3口口 口口2口口4口 口口口口口2口 不適合立即用炸彈。因為A,B之有一個可能有地雷,因此「6」中的5個已確定,應該在開了5個地雷後找地方炸。應該炸第3行第3個,保證了5個地雷。 3)奇偶性忽略 例六:右下角 A B C口口 1-1-1--1—1 機會為3分1(A/B/C),先手有2/3機會,應該先試。

Monday, 27 October 2008

比較新宋和回明 (4)

總結 其實兩本小說所述大同小異,以軍事及天朝理念改革為主。只是新宋所述的官場、戰事較多,敘述軸心不外乎朝庭,學院和儒士所聚之地。明顯地,宋代沒有明顯的宦禍,最大問題來自文人意氣之爭。既然手段並不骯髒,歷史天才石越要應對也不太大問題。 到於回明,手段不可免之餘,描述跟新宋相反,以軍事為主。因為是時韃子強攻,主角軍官出身,這是不可避免的。作者亦巧花心思用近半篇幅描述家裡狀祝,可以表達出他本來對兩年大限的珍惜。 整體上,新宋比較「歷史」一些,而回明較為輕鬆。雖然兩本均為數百萬字,但絕對是精彩的歷史架空小說。 *新宋不使轉載 新宋:http://big5.qidian.com/book/9300.aspx 簡體頁面,內容繁體。 第一部.十字.鮮鮮出版書局有售 回明:http://www.ck101.com/forums/viewthread.php?tid=1078074&extra=&page=1 (全文完,共2436字) 下篇關於<<機率遊戲>>個書評

Sunday, 26 October 2008

比較新宋和回明 (3)

-選段隨筆 →回明 大部分都是卷5-8的內容,整個故事比較貼歷史的一段。 「……可是,皇上那裡好說,難的是如何讓百官點頭呀。那些朝中大臣對他們不瞭解的大海看得可有可無,把天朝上國的面子看得比什麼都重要,輕海洋、輕通商,後世人人都明白的道理,以此時文武百官的觀念和意識又有幾人能夠理解、能夠接受? 很多事都是做起來並不難,難就難在沒有人想得起去做。即便有人想得起,墨守成規的人也會使盡手段的不許你去做。而在他的心目中,還認為自己是在堅持正義,是在做為國為民的好事。……」 海禁主要有四個原因:黨爭,內外掌海軍權不能解決。內庭掌權使文官砌出天朝政策。古書弊病,認為商賈未道。最後是壟斷問題。 的確,黨爭永遠是一個政治問題。唐、宋、明如此盛世也因為黨爭而衰亡。所以兩部小說的安排,都需要是外有文官支持,內有宦官幫手的領導人做主角,如此一來,改革不會起(大規模)黨爭,不會像王安石那樣,內在手段也不會被彈劾。 「……正德擦了一把淚痕,從桌上拴起那張奏折,慘笑道:「封還?這次是內閣三公、六部九卿、文武百官逼宮來了,你要朕怎麼辦?」   門外劉謹等人早就悄悄候在那兒,聽到此處終於相信楊凌說滿朝文武試圖將他們全部斬首的話是真地,自己受那些管事太監地吹捧確是中了東廠的奸計了。」 明代給人的感覺往往是官場嚴厲,但書中所述正德感覺上好像未成熟的新宋趙項。 「……李東陽垂下眼來,吸了口氣沉聲道:「皇上,東廠遠在千里之外,如何事先得知王尚書會宴請楊凌?如何會知道雙方會在席上交惡?此事太過蹊蹺,其中細節疑處甚多,可否宣楊大人上殿一詢?」   正德皇上劍眉一皺,俊美地臉蛋上溢出一絲憤怒,高聲道:「疑處甚多?錦衣衛張繡為何在天津衛設伏?東廠為何派出兩萬多名番子在來京道路上四處攔截?他們再三阻止楊卿回京分明是心中有鬼,唯恐惡行敗露!」   他砰地一拍桌子,怒道:「楊卿現在還在回京路上,朕剛剛已下詔令劉瑾率神機營官兵前往接應。若是楊卿有所閃失,朕定要那班奴才償命!」……」 中史論明代宦禍都是廠衛集一人之手,但也有弘治朝的王岳那些頗好的廠督,要不是正德立內廠,他應該不會狗急跳牆參一手去除所謂八虎和楊凌了。 to be continued...

Thursday, 23 October 2008

比較新宋和回明 (2)

回明的時期剛逢倭國(日本)哀落,對明依賴之甚,達明之銅幣。明拒絕貿易、知識往來導致了海盜群起,新組內(行)廠兼收稅,以發展商貿為糖衣,情報網為殺著,對於對外的貿易自不需要憂慮,大陸上卻把驛站完善化,提高商業水平。 明顯地,對於一個廿一世紀來說,一個二級(製造業)、三級(服務業)生產佔總值極大多數的社會來說,自然希望把社會商業化。最重要的是,商業化能推動工業發展。原本的歷史上,自宋元後,科技幾乎停滯不前,回明商業化固然可以將歷史改過來,但我認為新宋科進步受益更多。 明顯地,在一個充滿文化氣息的朝代、一個高自由的時代,他們發展的速度更快。一個例子就是關於石越著論語正解、三代之治、算術初步幾天內被搶購一空,後又被翻為遼文,足見文化之高。他們勇於去創新,例如石越同知軍器監製震天雷,呂惠卿管同樣能做手雷。 主角背景- 寫一部歷史架空小說,主角的背景、資歷是很重要的。就好像一個教授回去古代還可以當教授,乞丐回去就只能當回乞丐了。新宋中的石越設定為讀歷史系的天才(?),基本上整個熙寧時期的事都清清楚楚,例如蝗災及旱災,都成為了立功、官威的工具。 這兩本書有個共通地方就是他們試圖用官場去改變歷史,所以能掌握到的史事、哲理是很重要的。宋代倒不怕文人失言,因為宋朝風俗開放,文官把皇上駁到無言也不是重罪(甚至不是罪)。但明朝興文字獄,只要稍有失言,不被諫官扳倒已屬萬幸,對於這項,回明作者巧妙的安排給他一個太子侍讀的位置,得到太子的信任,內在宦官亦存威信,確立了日後幾個危險但舉足輕重的進言,扭轉歷史。 @copyright... To bo continue

Wednesday, 22 October 2008

比較新宋和回明 (1)

比較新宋和回明 歷史背景- 他們的背景是宋和明就不用多說了,只是他們選的背景都有一個重要的共通點──都是中興時期。 新宋所描述的是北宋王安石變法時期,當中宋代才子雲集,趙項變法不成,北宋也就走向哀落了。在截稿之前(?),本人就第一部「十字」而言,石越成功地革新、推動變法,雖然強幹弱枝之勢未改,王韶在熙河地區打到勝仗也不代表甚麼,但整個宋代已在第二部中顯出中興。 回明是明代弘治中興後期到正德,中興-亂政-宦禍是明代的轉折點,從現代回去的楊凌到這個時期就是要承中興、滅宦禍才能興明。書中楊凌成為太子侍讀,因而壓制原來正德時期「八虎」,即劉瑾、馬永成、谷大用、魏彬、張永、丘聚、高鳳、羅祥等八位過去的東宮宦官相互勾結,扶持正德繼續弘治時期的德政。 動作- 兩本小說竟出奇地有同一個新政,就是通商。讀過中史的人會知道,宋朝開設口岸,為甚麼說是新政呢?那是因為(北)宋設五市舶司,功用類似現在海關,主要是招待、管理來船,而不是對外貿易。基於天朝政策,明清兩朝使用閉關政策,實施海禁,更頓失貿易。 中國一向有「一官二吏三僧四道五醫六工七匠八娼九儒十丐」之說,即重農民,興讀(死)書,但從商者不入流,視之「賤民」也。明朝更有讀書人可穿青錦衣而商人不可之說。 先說新宋,對外貿易首要是「特產」,石越能利用學院授「雜學」而造就宋代科技水平三級跳,火藥得到很好利用;「座鐘」(即時鐘)的發明都是一些很好的例子。更重要的是,金屬、鹽以外的奢侈品價錢之高,影響之大可扭轉北宋窮的局勢。如書所說,一趟可賺六、七十萬貫,即宋一年稅收大半了,一年還不只一趟呢。 @Copyright reserved~ To bo continue...

Wednesday, 8 October 2008

必殺書本名單!

Seba系 1.幻影都城1~7 8.禁咒師4,7 10.舒祈的檔案夾 11.歿世錄1~2 13.上邪1~3 16.Seba年度同人誌 鮮鮮系 17.新宋1~4 21.靈俠異少1~7重睇 35.白龍的秘寶(上下) 歷史系 36.回明1~6 42.歷代政治得失 43.下一個十年 科幻系 44.時間迴旋 45.時間軸 46.時間旅人 47.第19層地獄 48.群(上下),海 51.最終理論(小說) 52.最終理論(物理史) 53.日巡者.終巡者 科學系 54.薛丁格的兔 55.量子重力 56.觀念化學1~6 57.靈魂有多重 其他 58.天使街3,5 已完成 日巡者.終巡者 天使街4 最終理論^2 岩岩好60本~e年一定要係書局將佢地KO晒!!

Tuesday, 8 July 2008

靈警科會考卷™

靈警科會考卷™ 滿分:二百 時限:三小時 甲部、閱讀理解 (四十分) 閱讀以下文章,回答問題。 資料一 當日下午,靈情司醫檢處   “嗯,十九號。”法醫拿起手術刀,剖開了十九號的肚子,在割出一個大型的“Y”字型傷後,又拿起電鋸,將前胸的肋骨切下。   血肉濺在本和法醫的面罩和外套上,在這片血肉模糊中,本注意到十九號的臉動了一下。   “等等!”本叫住了法醫。   “什麼?”法醫已經把肋骨卸下來了,他將一小排肋骨放在一邊,露出十九號的五髒六腑,和普通人的一樣,沒有看出什麼問題。   “剛剛他的臉在動。”本道。   “幻覺吧?”法醫不相信死掉的人臉還會動,哪怕是有靈能的人,死了就是死了,不管是誰,死了靈魂都會離開肉體,剩下的就只有這具空殼,空殼是不可能動的,這是誰也改變不了的事實。   本也不太確定,所以他沒有堅持,他見法醫把十九號血淋淋的胃取出來,道:   “這人吃了米倫斯,你看下他的胃部。”   “正要做呢。”法醫把胃放在盤中,像切牛排一樣,用手術刀將它切開,裡面的胃液、沒有消化的食物都溢了出來,“啊,”法醫從膿液裡拿起一枚結婚戒指,“他還真是不挑食。”   “你看,裡面還有骨頭的碎片,”本指著一塊白骨,道,“即使是野獸,也不可能將生骨頭咬碎!”   “我們看看這家伙的牙齒長什麼樣。”法醫同意本的話。   法醫又拿起手術刀,准備切開十九號的嘴部,取出他的牙齒,可就在他的手術刀要碰到他的皮肉時,他的臉又動了一下,好像有什麼東西在他的皮膚下游走,這次不只是本,連法醫也看得真切,他抬眼看了看本,道:   “看到了?”   “剛才就看到了。”本更加確定了。   “我要開動了。”法醫咽了咽口水,自他擔任法醫以來,不管在人間界還是在靈情司,都沒有遇到過這種事。   法醫從十九號的眉心上劃了道口子,順著他的眉心往下劃開,將他的臉剝成兩半,但就在他的刀剛剛劃過十九號的鼻尖,一個黑影倏然從十九號的頭部砰出,飛向法醫。   “啊——!”法醫從來沒遇到過這種事,他清楚地看到有一只半只足球大小的紫色的蟲緊緊地趴在他的面罩上面,透過玻璃面罩,法醫還能看到它細小的腳和上下起伏的小腹。   “冰凍術!”本也吃驚不小,他急中生智,將那只紫色的蟲連同法醫的玻璃面罩一同冰凍起來。   “天哪,這是什麼啊!!”法醫將面罩摘下來,看著被凍在冰塊中,動彈不得的紫蟲,若不是有面罩擋住,後果不堪設想。   “似乎是蠱蟲,”本記得“群”中有人會蠱術,“我拿去異檢處。” 資料二   靈司殿三殿辦公室   現在這間辦公室已經易主,阿成站在窗前,望向遠方的內城,心裡有說不出的憂慮。   “阿成!”本突然闖進辦公室。   “本,你怎麼來了?”阿成有些吃驚本會親自過來,除了每年他回總部向紹佐當面報告美洲分部的情況外,其余的時間都不曾來過。   “怎麼出了這麼大的事也沒人通知我?”本有些生氣。   “抱歉,我也是剛剛才接到紹佐免職、靈情司單設為地情殿的通知,現在心裡很亂,還沒來得及通知其他分部的四殿。”阿成長長嘆了口氣,“本,情況越來越不妙了。”   “我來就是為這事,你先說說你這邊。”本越發覺得自己親自來一趟是正確的。   “紹佐、阿續、皇晟、星翎連同靈龍闖進了冥司殿。”   “什麼?!”本當然知道這是非常嚴重的事,“為什麼靈龍也在?他不是在人間界好好地生活嗎?紹雲呢?”   “據紹佐說,‘群’對他們一家下手,紹雲受了重傷,他們的孩子也被擄了去,他們此番就是為了去救回靈魂,沒想到卻被‘群’引到了冥司殿,不過他們已經找到‘群’的大本營,已經離開冥司殿前往鬼堡了。”阿成道。   “那十老知不知道靈龍的身份?”   “現在知道了,所謂的御獄島一事根本就是借口,他們對紹佐瞞報塞雷亞尚在人間界,並娶了紹雲的事勃然大怒,並且要求紹佐殺了靈龍和他的孩子。”阿成皺眉。   “也就是說,紹佐肯定與十老絕裂了?”本當然清楚以紹佐的性格,要他賣友求榮,是絕對不可能的。   “據我所知,紹佐也有離開地府的打算,所以……”   “可是為什麼十老會知道靈龍的身份,已經十二年了,一向深居簡出的他們為何突然發覺此事?知道這事的人都沒可能告密的啊!”本提出質疑。   “這才是關鍵所在,我和鬼仙都認為地府有‘群’的人,而且職位不低。”   “的確,”本聽了阿成的話更加認定美洲分部的靈警資料泄密的問題出在總部,“從兩天前起,我美洲分部先後有五名靈警遭遇不測,最後發現是克勞勃研究院所為,他們選定的都是在人間界有家人的靈警,先用卑鄙的手段綁架他們的家人,再將他們引到暗處……” 1. 請寫出法醫所屬部門。(2) 2. 請寫出十九號發瘋和蠱蟲的關係。(12) 3. “群”中最可能使用蠱蟲的是誰?(2) 4. 十老動怒的原因?(9) 5. 地府中‘群’的人,請列出兩個人。(4) 6. 靈情司單設為地情殿的效果?(116) 乙部、長問答 (一百六十分) 請用完整句子作答。 1a. 試比較兩次往生道戰鬥和險墜往生道的情形。(18+18) 1b. 解釋宇文翎下世打為畜生的原因。(14) 1c. 詳述往生道的架構。(20) 2. 分別用地府、人界及隱靈寺方丈之角度描述三界。(10+10+10) 3. 舉出大小獄各三個並加以說明。(5x6) 4. 說明殘、何遠及離(宇文翎)的關係。(5+5+5) 5. 請出靈龍的死法和復活過程。(15) 丙部、額外分數題目 此部分數計算於總分內,但滿分仍為二百。 此份考卷應用於靈警文試中是否適合,試說你的看法。(30)

Sunday, 8 June 2008

Unit 18,19,21 - "Earthquake and volcanic eruption" + Unit 22-24 - "Farming"

Geography notes – earthquake and volcanic eruptions

1) Structure of earth: Crust: outer layer made up by solid rock,60-120km thick and its’ continents and oceans floor. Mantle is the inner layer that made up of molten rock as magma. Core is the innermost layer made up of iron and nickel, it’s very hot and high pressure.

2) The crust broken into plates. They move slowly by the convection of magma caused by thermal expansion, the boundary between plates are called plate boundary. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are mainly found along plate boundaries and they are result of boundary movement.

3) When the plates move oppositely, pressure builds up gradually, earthquake is result from releasing pressure suddenly→earth shake violently.

4) Cracks formed from moving of plates, gases, solid rocks and magma may forced out violently though out cracks, this is volcanic eruptions.

5) Earthquakes and ranked according to magnitude and we use Richter Scale to indicate earthquake.

6) Six effect of earthquake: (1)Collapse of buildings→main cause of death and injuries. (2)Earthquake cause breakdown of gas and oil pipelines→widespread fire→lots of death and widespread destruction. (3)Breaking of rock, road and bridge→delaying rescue work. (4)It cause subsidence of land, landslides, dams collapse→flooding. (5)Earthquake occurring under the sea may cause giant tidal wave(tsunami) and cause coastal flooding. (6)There are still aftershocks after the main earthquake, also victims may suffer from hunger and spread of diseases.

7) Four effects of volcanic eruption: (1)It release gases and most of them are poisonous and harmful to the health. (2) Large rock fragments are thrown out as volcanic bombs and volcanic ash is released also, they buries building and farmland. (3)Hot magma flow known as lava flow destroy and burn everything up the way. (4)Volcanic ash or volcanic bombs may mix with rain water or melting snow and form mudflow and buries house and farmland.

8) Immediate measures: earthquake: send armies and rescues teams to search in rubble, settle them in temporary shelters, give them food, water and blankets, restoring communication, putting out fires and providing medical services.

9) Volcanic eruptions: divert flows away from human settlement.

10) Long-term measures: (1) Use sensitive instruments to give prediction and warning. (2) Use modern technology to make earthquake-proof design. (3)Reducing the pressure of cracks. (4)Land use zoning reduce loss from fire in high-risk areas. (4)Teaching.

Geography notes – farming

1) System of farming: (Input-> process -> output)

2) Types of farming: Types of output: livestock only→pastoral, crops only→arable, both→mixed. Use of output: feed themselves→subsistence and sold for profit→commercial.

3) South China: small farm, ↑labour input, ↓machinery input, ↑yield per unit of land, ↓yield per farmer →intensive farming, output: rice.

4) Australia outback: big farm, ↓labour input, ↑machinery input, ↓yield per unit of land, ↑yield per farmer →extensive farming, output: cattle.

Problems of farming:

1) Extremes in rainfall: Australia get less than 500 mm rainfall per year, it’s hard to support growth of crops and large populations of cattle. South China always have typhoons→heavy rain, flooding.

2) Poor soil: In Australia half of land is infertile and in China soil erosion make soil thin and infertile.

3) Pests and diseases may result in crop failure or deaths of livestock

4) In mountainous areas, terrace are common and the land is steep and soil is thin. It’s hard to use machines and output is limited.

5) Australia is short of labour.

6) In China, urbanization happens and good farmland is taken away by houses and factories.

7) In China, farmers other don’t have money to buy machines, good seeds, fertilizers and pesticides. This limited their profit of output.

Ways to solve the problem:

1) Use machines to ↑productivity and instead of labour. Machines can ploughing, sowing, harvesting and even milking.

2) Chemical fertilizers puts back some nutrients back to the soil, Pesticides kills and deter pests, weedicides kills unwanted plant.

3) Development of generically modified crops improve the quality.

4) Irrigation technology supplies water for a large area of farmland and it’s reliable.

The problem of scientific farming methods:

1) Those methods are too expensive that some farmers can’t pay for it.

2) Some of the farmers are poor educated so that they don’t know how to use the methods in correct way.

3) Using machines efficiently→cut down tree and bushes to enlarge farm size→the lost of windbreaks may lead to crop destroying by strong wind.

4) Machine may harden the soil that water may just flow over it.

5) Chemical fertilizers lack of organic matter that used to bind soil together→after several time, the soil is loosened and can easily be eroded, also, chemicals made rapid growth of algae in surrounding streams, the fish passing there may lack of oxygen and die.

6) Pesticides are poisonous and people may be poisoned if they eat it, also, pesticides may passed to other living organism through food chain.

7) Poor country can’t afford to research new seed and breeds, GM food are produced by changing/ removing some genes from crops, some people think that it can solve food problem but some think that this may change the neutral environment and hurt their health.

Unit 9 "Force and rocket"

IS note unit 9 – force

Three effect of force

- Change the speed (accelerate for same direction and slow down when opposes)

- Change the direction of motion

- Change the shape (when the force is larger than the force that hold the shape)

We Use Newton balance to measure the force and the unit is Newton (N).

A contract force opposing your force is called friction. They happens when two surfaces are in contact, it always opposes the motion of object. They come from the tiny bumps that the bumps on two surfaces catch each other. So that the rougher surface cause bigger friction. Also, when the object move through water or air, there’s friction too, the friction of air is called air friction or air resistance. Moving against friction can produce heat.

Three ways to reduce friction:

- Changing from sliding motion to rolling motion

- Moving object on a layer of air

- Streamlined object towards air friction

- Smoothen the surface (e.g. use lubricants)

Friction sometimes is useful too, e.g. pick up something.

Force of gravity is a non- contract force. It pulls thing direct downwards to the core of earth (or other object which known as universal gravitation, they attracts other objects toward it by their mass, but the force is too small that we can’t feel, force of gravity is only about the planet). The force on an object is known as weight, a weight of 1kg cause 10N force on gravity on Earth, force of gravity on Moon is 1/6 of Earth.

Action and Reaction

- They occurs in pairs

- The magnitude of force is exactly equal

- The force react in opposite direction

Rocket use that reaction by burning fuels to fly, the fuels are liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. They give a clean flame, burning reaction of this fuel (2H2+O2=>2H2O) and a high temperature, so that this is a big propulsion for rocket. There solid grain fuel also. In the middle of journey, the astronauts is weightless because the friction between the planets are offset.

Function of space suit:

maintain living environment of astronaut (e.g. body temperature, pressure, resistance radiation, treat body waste, supply oxygen and remove carbon dioxide, etc.

When the rocket backs to the atmosphere, it’s rise in temperature by heating effect. It can be reduces by insulating tiles and parachutes.

Unit 6-7 - "Law"

Law is a set of binding rules by which every person and organization and society has to abide.

Three meaning of “rule of law”

The government must act and rule according to the law which serves as the basis for its legality.

Equality before the law is upheld.

The judiciary is independent of the executive and legislative branches.

Three importances of law and the rule of law:

Maintain order and security, prevent abuses of power and protect people’s freedoms and legal rights

Source of law:

The Basic Law of the HKSAR is the constitutional document of HKSAR.

Annex III of National Law are applied in HKSAR.

Laws in force in HK before handover including: Ordinances and subsidiary legislation, Common law and Chinese customary law (e.g. relation to land in NT)

The laws enacted by LegCo after handover is the major source.

Some international laws and conventions have been applied to HKSAR.

Law is effective only when it’s strictly enforced, law enforcement body is to maintain order. They are also restricted by the law so as to prevent power abuses.

ICAC:

They receives and investigates allegations of corruption that the complaint from public.

Examines the practices and procedures of gov. departments and public organizations.

Provide corruption prevention advices on request from private organizations.

Promote anti-corruption messages and regular corruption prevention training for stuff of public organizations and maintains regular contract with public organizations to promote good corporate governance and ethical practice.

Wednesday, 4 June 2008

Unit 10,11 - "Acids and alkalis" , "Sensory"(eye)

1) Acids (acidic substances) taste sour, fruits contain citric acid and soft drinks contain carbonic acid. Alkalis (Alkaline substances) are slippery.

2) Some natural materials contain pigments that changes colour in acid / alkalis, they are natural indicators.

3) Common acids in Lab.: hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid and nitric acid.

4) Common alkalis in Lab.: sodium hydroxide and ammonia.

5) Litmus: Acids turn blue litmus blue and alkalis turn red litmus blue, if no change for both colour, it’s neutral. (Litmus solution or litmus paper which soaked in the litmus solution.)

6) Universal indicator: they show a wide range of colours depending on the degree of acidity or alkalinity of substances, pH paper is soaked in the universal indicator. pH scale shows the different colour to show their acidity or alkalinity from 0 to 14. Lower value is more acidic and higher value is more alkaline, 7 is neutral.

7) pH meter is as electronic appliance that measure the value accurately.

8) The pH value in daily: blood: 7.4; stomach juice:2; intestinal juice: 8.5, skin: 5.5 and soil: 6-8.

9) Test for hydrogen: burning splint, burn with a pop sound (explosion).

10) Corrosive effect of metal + acid => Hydrogen + salt , (energy release)

Acids corrode metals but aluminium resistance from this because aluminium react with oxygen and form aluminium oxide which resistance from corroding.

11) Corrosive effect :acid +marble (-> Calcium carbonate)=> Carbon dioxide+ water (+ salt)

12) Rain water is slightly acidic because carbon dioxide in air dissolves in rain water and form carbonic acid, when the pH value of rain water lower than 5.6, it’s acid rain. They formed because air pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.

13) The acid rain will corroding stone(marble) structures, metal structures, damage forests and make the water be acidic where most aquatic life can’t live. It’s a regional problem that HKSARgov. and Guangdong Provincial gov. joined to control acid rain. They reduce the release pollutants form vehicles and power stations. We can use energy efficiently to reduce also.

14) Acids help to preserve food, they slow down their activities or even kill them. Vinegar is non-toxic solution that contains acetic(ethanoic) acid so they use vinegar as food preservative.

15) *higher pH value can slow down the browning effect.

16) Oven, drain cleanser contains sodium hydroxide, glass cleanser contains ammonia and toilet cleanser contains hydrochloric acid.

17) Neutralization:

Acids + Alkalis => Salt + water

18) Daily use of neutralization: Antacid (alkaline) is used for excess acid in stomach, Baking soda for bee, ant and mosquito stings and vinegar for wasp stings, lime is alkali that neutralize the acidic soil. All chemical waste should be neutralize before dispose it. Also, lye is added to neutralize the acidity of glutinous rice and vinegar is used to neutralize the lye in noodles.

19) Strong acids or alkalis cause a burn, they are highly corrosive. When diluting a concentrated solution, we add it to water but not add water to solutions, adding them slowly and mix them when diluting.

20) We detect different stimuli (stimulus) with different sense organs, they sense with their own sensory cells. Eye→sight, ear→hearing, tongue→taste, nose→smell, skin→touch.

21) The parts of eye: Eyebrow, eyelash on the eye lid; Cornea is a clear layer in front of eye, help focusing light, Iris, changes the size to fit the amount of light going in, they have different colours refer to pigments; Pupil allows light go in the eye; focusing muscles help control the thickness of lens to focus image; Lens can change in thickness to focus light in retina; Retina contains light-sensitive cell and sends stimuli to brain by Optic nerve; Blind spot is in front of the optic nerve and we can’t sense light there, yellow spot is that most of the light-sensitive cell are there, protective coat (sclera) protects eyeball and maintain its’ shape. Aqueous Humor(watery fluid) is water in front of lens and Vitreous Humor is jelly-like fluid that behind lens. The light goes with an inverted image in the eye.

22) Cones cells sense colours in bright light, three types sensing for red, blue and green. They used to form colour images (no. 6M), rod cell form B&W images in dim light, 1 types only (no. 1.2 B)

23) Three reason for short sight: the lens stable to be thick, eyeball too long or focusing muscles too weak, three reason for long sight just the opposite.

Tuesday, 27 May 2008

元-明notes

元朝的建立

蒙古人(成吉思汗、窩闊台汗、蒙哥汗)以三次西征得到西至歐洲的土地,成為欽察、察合台、窩闊台、伊兒四大汗國。忽必烈繼某兄蒙哥之之汗位後,把都城由和林移到燕京,1271年改大蒙古國為元,稱元世祖。1279滅南宋。

蒙古人文化較漢人落後,因此中史政制仿宋,中書省下六部;地方政制用行省制,省為一級行政機構。

高壓統治:

1) 四個分級──一為蒙古人,二為色目人(西域、西夏、歐洲人),三為漢人(金,北方漢人),四為南人。漢、南人只能做副官;科舉時,漢人、南人列為左榜,試題深、取人少。

2) 派蒙古軍、探馬赤軍監視漢人,不准私藏武器,習武、打獵、集會和夜行。

3) 漢、南人被蒙古人打不能還手,打死蒙古人為死罪,蒙古人打死人只流放。

4) 蒙古人強佔農田為牧場/分給貴族,或向農民收苛稅,他們不能負擔/成為奴隸,以至農地荒廢,另外濫發紙幣,導至通脹,經濟崩潰。

5) 行里甲制,廿家為一甲,蒙古人為甲長監管居民,另外,元朝捧喇嘛教,喇嘛僧成日欺侮老百姓。

覆亡

黃河決提,政府不賑之餘強徵十五萬農民去修,於是人民反抗,以韓山童、劉福通的紅巾軍最強,但力量分散和內部不和而失敗。朱元璋1368年攻下大都,元順帝和貴族逃到塞外,元亡。

元亡的原因:

蒙古中葉皇權紛爭不斷,又依靠武力壓制漢人,但入主中原後生活驕奢,不在善戰,漢人被激起反抗時就會潰敗;元任用聚斂財物的官員,又導至通脹→民生困苦;元以喇嘛教為國教,番僧橫行霸道亦加深民族矛盾。

明

朱元璋自幼貧困,父母兄長相繼去世,曾為僧行乞,加入郭子興的反元軍隊得到重用,後來用「高築牆、廣積糧、緩稱王」的策略,1368年稱帝,年洪武,都應天府,是為明太祖,以「驅逐胡虜,恢復中華」為召北伐,攻克大都滅元,於洪武二十年(

1

3

8

7)統一。他來自民間,了解民間疾苦,因此用與民休息政策,如獎勵墾荒,興修水利,清查戶口,丈量農地登記方便收稅。明太祖也嚴明記律,澄清吏治,廣開言路。

集權政治:

1) 以胡惟庸謀反案廢相,政務由六部處理,六部尚書直屬於皇帝。

2) 把行省改為布政使司區,設三司(承宣布政使司、都指揮使司和提刑按察使司),互不統屬,直屬於皇帝,大事由皇帝批決。

3) 分封子(

2

4)和孫(

1)為藩王保衛中央,諸王可以有軍隊,鎮守全國要地,有權行文要求捉奸臣/舉兵入朝誅除叛逆。

4) 分割兵權為常兵的五軍都督府、徵調的兵部和指揮的總兵官,分別聽命皇帝。

5) 以胡惟庸和藍玉案殺45000多人,功臣宿將不能倖免。

6) 為尊君抑臣,設跪對廷杖。

7) 設錦衣衛,原為親軍,特令兼管刑獄,偵察和緝捕之權,成為特務組織。

影響:提升權威,形成君主獨裁,把君主專制統治推向高峰,但沒有宰相輔助,英明君主尚可應付,若君主昏庸懶惰,宦官就有機可乘了。分封和給予特權使得日後宗室藩王和朝廷之間有衝突→「靖難之變」,太祖死後,由孫朱允炆(惠帝)繼位,他實行削藩惹起燕王朱棣不滿,1399年以「清君側,靖內難」起兵南下,3年後攻入應天府,惠帝失蹤,朱棣奪得帝位,改元永樂,為明成祖。

基於北方成日受蒙古騎兵騷擾,決定把統治中心北移,把北平府改為順天府(北京),應天府改為南京。他繼續削藩,設內閣,選大臣為內閣大學士幫皇帝處理機要。另外,設「東廠」,由宦官掌管,加強對臣民監察。 由於明成祖奪位宦官有功,所以他派他們出使、監軍和收稅,宦官勢力得以坐大。英宗起,君主多昏庸,往往10、20年不見朝臣,朝政交由宦宮處理,甚至硃批亦交給宦官代行。

1) 英宗時,王振不懂軍事卻慫恿英宗親征瓦剌,明軍於土木堡全軍覆沒,英宗被俘,王振死於亂軍,史稱土木之變。

2) 景帝即位七位,曹吉祥乘景帝重病,發動政變擁立回英宗,史稱「奪門之變」。

3) 憲宗時,另設西廠,由汪直帶領,任意起罪,屢興大獄。

4) 武宗時,劉瑾再設「內行廠」,控制朝臣和誘導武宗荒淫嬉戲。

5) 熹宗時,魏忠賢結黨營私,導至東林黨獄。 東林黨議 神宗時,顧憲成被革職回鄉,和高攀龍等人講學於東林學院,抨擊宦官,成為一股政治力量,「東林黨」,對立官員為「非東林黨」。熹宗時,「非東林黨」齊、楚、淅三派投向魏忠賢成為閹黨,他大興黨獄,拆毀全國書院,列黨人榜,思宗時治魏忠賢,打擊才告終止。這使忠良去位,人才摧抖,宦官更坐大。

明末

女真為滿族前身,明末建州部首領努爾哈赤統一女真,1616稱汗,建金,史稱後金。努爾哈赤攻打寧遠時,袁崇煥以大砲堅守,並打死努爾哈赤,其子皇太極以反間計去掉袁崇煥,直逼山海關。1636,皇太極稱帝,大清,是為清太宗,改族名滿洲,通稱滿族。 此外亦有民變,一為流民(農民和饑民)、農民要交多田租和賦稅徭役,士兵經常被拖欠人工,又裁減驛卒。思宗時,陝西發生饑荒,演變為民變,後來成為李自成和張獻忠兩大主力。李自成被部下封為闖王,在河南、湖北一帶;後來進軍陝西,在西安自稱大順王;張獻忠進軍四川,於成都稱大西國王。 1644年,李自成攻入北京,思宗在煤山自縊,清兵於山海關外,受鎮守山海關的吳三桂放入關打李自成,李自成敗走陝西,清兵分兩路攻陝西,在湖北通山縣九宮山被打死,清兵又打入四川,張獻忠戰死,之後清兵就統一了全國。

Saturday, 10 May 2008

雜誌產生器-2

醉楓林,亞洲最有影響力的億萬企業家 —百年前,8國聯軍攻陷北京,自此中國門戶洞開,歷史改寫。百年後,來自美、英、法、德、荷、瑞、星、日、澳等國外資,進逼台灣金融、有線電視、電信、基礎建設、不動產、傳統企業、高科技公司。在這場資金、人才、技術的競爭中,為什麼,醉楓林仍然會是贏家? 作者:孫慢蘋 pic1 「準備三年,現在,就等著聽一張好牌!」總是笑臉迎人的醉楓林,這回笑得更得意。 他,從做計數起家。靠著生產數學,一手創辦的QES不但與大廠結盟,還吸引索羅斯與比爾蓋茲入股,甚至有本事向中國共產黨政府收權利金。 今年是QES成立三週年,也是這家以數學聞名全球的公司,在全球市場發光發熱的關鍵年。QES切入海外計數僅一年半,卻一舉奪下美國九成市占率;這一步,是QES跨入三十五兆美元規模市場的秘密武器。 「愛得太遲」 七年級前段的醉楓林外表看起來威震八方,說話時洋溢著一種不怒自威的神采。「那個時候環境實在是非常的忙。」醉楓林接過臉盆,喝了一口凍奶荼走杯,拿起身邊的人,挖了挖耳朵,接著說。「不過,就算環境是多麼的忙,我依然相信,『曼聯必敗 』。」 醉楓林的座右銘是「愛得太遲」,他便是靠著這樣的精神,刻苦走來。「嗯…嗯…的確,就是那樣,不過,嗯…嗯…哈哈,不是啦,其實是,嗯,對對對!不過我還是要提醒你一下,我其實沒有那麼的那個…那個?你問那個?就是那個啊!對,其實我並沒有那麼那個,我這個人其實是比較那個的。」醉楓林散發著不凡的樂觀與自信。 醉楓林出身於一個無聊的家庭,父親是董建英,母親則是董建日,從小灌輸醉楓林傳統無聊的教育,在大學時主修存在主義與打3H不如打4H,同時也修習了俄、德、法、義、美、日、英、澳八國語文,在這樣一段平淡的日子中,醉楓林卻深深體會到了僵化教育體制下的不足。「這樣的日子,不是我要的!」在大學的第三年,醉楓林便著手創辦QES。 作為董建英的兒女,他的辛酸沒人知。做得好,人家會說,就算他做的是計數,可是還是歸功於他是董建英的兒女,是父親的庇佑;做得不好,人家說他是敗家子。壓力沈重的醉楓林,卻不躁進的從細節開始扎根。 創業初期,當時每隔一個月他都必須騎著摩托車環島一個月去各地收帳、拉生意。 有一次,他注意到一位下游通路商已經半年沒跟他進貨。他一查才發現,原來對方覺得他在一個酒會場合上不小心得罪對方,對方老闆就氣得不跟他進貨。他得知後,立刻聯絡對方可否見面,對方狠狠丟下一句「不可能」。 但醉楓林覺得今天如果不做他的生意並不會影響發展。但對方卻會到處去說他的不對,「如果一百人裡面有九十個說你不好,那你就真的不好。」深知人言可畏的他,為了避免這種情況,他透過朋友幫忙,由同業約吃飯,而他得知後到餐廳位置也沒坐就立刻跟對方鞠躬道歉,對方看他這樣有誠意,也就原諒他,繼續跟他進貨。 改變,才能夠生存 雖然第一年成績亮眼,但是業界抄襲風盛行,產品開發以模具開發成本為考量,「大家都以為,擁有不同螢幕尺寸的數學產品,就代表產品線齊全,生意就會上門。」各家產品的差異化小,客戶一眼就看穿你的成本結構,甚至一度曾經一天就被抄襲了三十四種設計。 於是,鴻際也便身陷價格混戰,無法走出虧損陰影,在香港商展上,醉楓林發現自己的產品淹沒在一堆中國廠商的產品中,一位客戶跟他說,「每個產品你倒貼我十元,賣不賣?」 這時候醉楓林遇到了一生中最重要的伴侶—果然翁,帶領他開始閱讀《<>》,給了他精神上的支持。「如果那時候沒有果然翁的話,我真的不知道我會怎麼辦,」醉楓林長長地嘆了一口氣,「那時候,我真的差點要去不但愛耍心機而且上完洗手間不沖水了!」 「計數就跟財經雜誌記者寫人物專訪一樣,不是一天可以練成的!」痛定思痛之後,醉楓林也對計數從此有了更多的體悟。「但是,成功也不是一切。對我而言,這個世界上還有更重要的價值。」 市場分析師Nicolet認為,QES接下來的發展關鍵,是如何在日本的研發基地中,成功導入黃金奈米科技,經營出一條新的黃金奈米數學生產線。 明年七月十五日醉楓林即將帶著QES前往日本發展。醉楓林會交出一張怎樣的成績單?讓我們拭目以待。

雜誌產生器XD

新教育運動 —教育教父醉楓林推崇《世界的怪拳、奇拳》中的管理策略:創新,就是要導入外來文化,就是在組織感受壓力、絕處逢生時。 作者:曾堡錄 pic1 9月入秋的第一道鋒面把天空染得灰濛濛的,海浪恣意拍打BBO岸邊,沿岸躺著幾根綿延三、四公里的黑色取水管,隨著浪潮起伏晃動。QES的工作人員盯著電腦,掌握氣象動態,心裡盤算何時該把管子埋進太平洋。 「取水管埋在太平洋下600公尺,就能汲取深達2000、3000公尺的海水,深層海水是BBO的新特產,到了年底,可以喝到海水做的數學,」人稱地上最強太鼓之達人的教育發展投資策進會總幹事、QES董事長醉楓林興奮地說著。 深層海水可以變成商品,製成數學,帶來財富,已經變成愈來愈火紅的新商品。 提到醉楓林,一般人對他或許沒有印象,但在台灣醫藥界、特別是在骨科醫生中,他卻大大有名氣。三年前,醉楓林獨具慧眼引進義大利羅達(Rotta)藥廠的數學,建立數學的生產線,此舉不單成就他現在的事業,累積數億元財產,更讓台灣中老年人颳起一陣「QES」熱潮,遲遲未見衰退。 QES製造的數學可用作泛葡萄糖胺類(glucosamine)藥品,這類產品在台灣就有四十幾種,若將相關產品也列入,則可能有六百多種,不過QES生產的數學市占率卻遙遙領先,一舉囊括九成以上的市場。年銷八千萬顆的威力,讓所有競爭者都甘拜下風。 醉楓林當年的靈感,再加上經營策略操作得宜,配合台灣老年人口不斷的增加,終於讓QES成為市場霸主。 「愛得太遲」 七年級前段的醉楓林外表看起來童山濯濯,說話時洋溢著一種不怒自威的神采。「那個時候環境實在是非常的忙。」醉楓林接過臉盆,喝了一口凍奶荼走杯,摸了摸人,接著說。「不過,就算環境是多麼的忙,我依然相信,『曼聯必敗 』。」 醉楓林的座右銘是「愛得太遲」,他便是靠著這樣的精神,刻苦走來。「我想最重要的,應該還是家庭給我的影響。什麼?你問我後母的事情?你知道,在台灣嘛,大家都有言論自由嘛,你要寫,我也不會、也沒有辦法阻止你。不過你想想,上次郭台銘去告聯合報的記者,也不用告到倒,光是假扣押三千萬就夠了。我也不想跟郭台銘比較什麼啦,不過老實說,我的錢好像也比郭台銘多那麼一點就是了。」醉楓林散發著不凡的樂觀與自信。 醉楓林出身於一個無聊的家庭,父親是董建英,母親則是董建日,從小灌輸醉楓林傳統無聊的教育,在大學時主修存在主義與打3H不如打4H,同時也修習了俄、德、法、義、美、日、英、澳八國語文,在這樣一段平淡的日子中,醉楓林卻深深體會到了僵化教育體制下的不足。「這樣的日子,不是我要的!」在大學的第三年,醉楓林便著手創辦QES。 作為董建英的兒女,他的辛酸沒人知。做得好,人家會說,就算他做的是教育,可是還是歸功於他是董建英的兒女,是父親的庇佑;做得不好,人家說他是敗家子。壓力沈重的醉楓林,卻不躁進的從細節開始扎根。 醉楓林強調細部設計的重要性,因為不僅要有個別深入的專業技術,還要了解其他技術能力。工務部的任務是當工廠與機器設備等基礎工程完成後,工程師要負責提高設備的效率、安全,並降低成本。為了達到這些目標,細部設計需要擁有不同專業領域的知識,掌握各種細節,例如溫度、壓力狀況,進行調整,發揮效率。 醉楓林重視細部訓練,強調任何工作都要遵循標準作業程序,每個細節都要徹底執行。 改變,才能夠生存 在獲得巨幅獲利後,市場上,競爭壓力隨著低價風潮湧至。QES最主要的對手傷天害理集團發動全面割喉戰,不但用菜刀割喉,還用六五步槍刺刀、日本武士刀、雪飲寶刀、西瓜刀、鳳梨刀、油畫刀、拆信刀、牛排刀還有奶油刀割喉,導致商業談判時人人戴上安全帽與圍巾自危;每間倉庫都傳出監守自盜,公司財務也被外包的清潔公司掏空。…儘管如此,這都不能夠動搖醉楓林堅持發展教育產業的決心。 甚至,就連與醉楓林愛情長跑八年的孟加拉虎,也決定棄醉楓林而去,除了滯銷的數學之外,就只有留給他一本大前研一與彼得.杜拉克所合著的《世界的怪拳、奇拳》。「我倒現在還是很感謝孟加拉虎,雖然他離開了我,但是畢竟是他讓我開始閱讀《世界的怪拳、奇拳》,」醉楓林長長地嘆了一口氣,「我一開始的時候真的也很想不開,幾乎每天都在不但愛耍心機而且上完洗手間不沖水。」 「不過,醉楓林就是贏在看的趨勢,都看得比人家遠,」QES副董事長Nicolet說。 Nicolet是和醉楓林已有十幾年交情的老友兼高爾夫球友。他說,醉楓林一直把前進中國視為全球化的一環。一年半就在青康藏高原默默打造生產基地的醉楓林,當同業開始進駐中國時,他已經在拉薩專心地苦熬出半壁江山。 在中國心無旁鶩經營的醉楓林,其實也一直在為成為跨國公司做準備。Nicolet也形容,醉楓林就像一塊海綿,永遠都在吸取他在之前在外商擔任專業經理人的經驗。 市場分析師Nicolet認為,QES接下來的發展關鍵,是如何在瑪羅門寺的研發基地中,成功導入黃金奈米科技,經營出一條新的黃金奈米數學生產線。 明年七月十五日醉楓林即將帶著QES前往瑪羅門寺發展。醉楓林會交出一張怎樣的成績單?讓我們拭目以待。

Monday, 5 May 2008

Unit 3-5 - "How the HKSAR is Governed"

EPA notes unit 3-5

Basic law

1) It is a National law that all Chinese Citizen must obey.

2) It’s enacted in accordance with Article 31 of the Constitution of PRC.

3) It’s a constitutional doc. of HKSAR; no law enacted in HKSAR can contravene the Basic law.

Importance

4) Relationship between the Central Authorities and HKSAR, political structure, social and economics system of HKSAR.

5) The rights, freedoms and duties of HK residents.

Importance of government

6) Government keeps order in society by enacting laws.

7) The government has obligation to serve people→ allocates basic infrastructure and social services, carry out policies which are good for econ. And social development.

Chief Executive

8) Selection- In accordance with Basic Law, the CE is selected by election.

9) Can sign bills, budgets pass by Legco Council.

10) Decide government policies and issue orders

11) Nominate and report to CPG for appointment of principal officials, recommend to CPG for remove them

12) Appoint/ remove judges and all level courts, holder of public office

13) On behalf of HKSAR government, conduct external affairs and other affairs as authorized by Central Authorities

14) Handle petitions and complaints

Executive council

15) Members: appoint by CS, included 3 secretaries of principal officials, 12 Directors of Bureaux, some from Legco Council and public figures. Appointment or removal by CE.

16) Function: organ that assists CE in policy making, CE have to consult the EC before making important policy decisions, introducing bills to LC, subordinate legislation or dissolve LC.

Secretariat and departments

17) The policy bureaux collectively from the Government Secretariat. In each bureau, there is a Director of Bureau and a Permanent Secretary.

18) Function: the Chief Secretary for Administration, Financial Secretary, Secretary for Justice and 12 Directors of Bureaux are directly accountable to the Chief Executive. They lead the bureaux or government departments to ensure effective implementation of policies, they formulate, explain and promote policies, accountable for the success or failure of their policies, The Chief Executive can terminate their contracts if there are serious mistakes or if they have serious problems concerning personal integrity, or if they cease to be eligible under the Basic Law

Legislative Council (LC)

19) Select by Geographical constituencies (five, eligible residents in the constituencies and elect), Functional constituencies elections( eligible members in these sector can elect) and Election committee election (composed by permanent residents of HKSAR, exist in first, second term only)

20) Enact, amend or repeal laws, approve budgets, bills and public expenditure.

21) Receive and debate the policy addresses of CE, raise question on work of gov.

22) Debate issue concerning public interests and receive and handle complaints from HK residents.

Judiciary

23) The judiciary of HKSAR is composed of the courts at all levels, it can interpret the laws (laws enacted by LC, lower courts follow interpretation of higher courts.) Courts exercise judicial power and hear all criminal and civil cases, free from interference of any organization or person, power to rule weather or not it’s legal.

Communication

24) Communication can foster understanding between the people and the government→help build up better society.

25) Advantage: formulate policies that better fulfill social expectation and needs by pooling ideas put forward by public through consultation, public opinion can gain public recognition and oversee government’s work, the accountability of government can be enhanced.

26) Public can express opinions to government but have the duty to abide by the law and should not interfere others’ rights and public interest.

Release information

27) Information services department: publish and ad for government, maintain Government Information Centre.

28) Home Affairs Department: set up 20 Public Enquiry Services Centres to provide information on government.

Receive opinions and complaints

29) Executive Authorities: The CE, principal officials and heads for government departments have obligation to listen to public opinions and complaints.

30) LC: redress system; complain about government’s policies and action.

31) District C: meet them by Meet- the- Public- Scheme.

32) Office of Ombudsman: which responsible directly to CE, complaints against admin. Acts of governments or public organizations.

33) Home Affairs Bureau : collect trends through telephone surveys.

34) Advisory and statutory bodies: specialists, professional in diff. field to form, give possible advice.

35) Public consultation: explain objectives of laws or policies to public through consultation paper, leaflets or press conferences.

Informal Channel

36) Mass medial report government information and public opinions, provide platform for communication.

37) Organizations or group by public: They advise or criticize government on related policies and social issues.

38) Procession demonstration and petition to express can arouse local or even international concern.

Election

39) It’s a way for residents to delegate by vote the power to rule or manage public affairs to person who can best represents their interests, lawful and peaceful way, provides elected representatives the legitimacy to rule.

40) Role of residents in election: become candidates and stand for election to serve (stand), vote in rational and fair manner, e.g., consider the qualifications, past records of community service and political agendas.